German Feature Film, BILLIE, Debuts in Cinemas Across Germany From September 17th

A Letter from Beatrace Oola, Head of Costume Design for BILLIE

Dear All,

From 17 September 2026, BILLIE will be showing in cinemas across Germany – a film by Sheri Hagen that not only tells a compelling story, but also invites us to look at the people and perspectives shaping the images behind the camera.

Two actresses of African heritage are at the heart of the film. At the same time, numerous Black creatives hold key positions behind the camera, including the costume department. This does not automatically change everything. But it does change who helps shape the gaze.

At the centre of BILLIE are two Black friends whose everyday lives are suddenly thrown into chaos. After getting stuck in a bank over €300, they unexpectedly find themselves mistaken for bank robbers. What begins as an absurd situation unfolds into a story about friendship, solidarity and self-determination – told with humour, warmth and a good dose of chaos. How does the visual language of a film change when people do not first have to explain or translate their own cultural perspectives?

As Head of Costume Design, I worked together with the costume department to develop the visual world of the characters. The aim was never to simply find “African” clothing for a German film.

Before the first fabric was selected, there were already colours, textures, silhouettes and memories. Sheri Hagen had a clear vision for the world of the film. From that vision, and through a close engagement with the characters, emerged an aesthetic that brings

different lived realities into conversation.

African Fashion, contemporary design, vintage, Afropunk and material innovation.

Several costume pieces were created specifically for the film, including a bag and cuffs made from banana fibre. Other garments were custom-made and draw on textile traditions – including details reminiscent of the aesthetics of Nigerian Swiss lace.

What interests me is what happens when cultural references are not used as decoration, but become connected to the personality and inner world of a character.

With Angie, for example, the Ankh becomes a distinctive visual part of her story. The ancient symbol, rooted in Kemet – the ancient Egyptian name for the land of Egypt – is associated with life and, within the costume design, becomes connected to Angie’s energy, her determination to change and her passion for life.

Angie also wears shoes by the Senegalese label Nio Far – a name derived from the Wolof language and expressing the idea of “we are one” or “we belong together”. Here again, a seemingly small detail becomes a carrier of meaning: a shoe becomes a symbol of connection, community and the strength of togetherness. For Rahel, the costume design draws inspiration from Afropunk artist Unity and the distinctive visual language of the Afropunk movement – a space where individuality, resistance and self-expression become part of the aesthetic.

A small sign can suddenly carry an entire story.

And perhaps this is precisely a story we need to tel more often in Germany. African Fashion challenges stereotypes and creates new narratives.

It is contemporary design, avant-garde, high end, street couture, tailoring, craftsmanship, material innovation and subculture.

It is created in many places at once – in Lagos, Kampala, Accra and Johannesburg, as wel as Paris, London, Berlin and Hamburg – and wherever African and Afrodiasporic designers develop their own visual languages, references and codes.

Not as exoticism. Not as decoration.

But as part of a contemporary design language.

That is the power of costume design. Clothing speaks before a character does.

A colour can make an inner movement visible. A silhouette can express attitude.

A material can carry memory. A symbol can connect heritage and the present. Identity is not a costume.

But costume can make identity visible.

I would love for BILLIE to become an invitation to look further: at contemporary African Fashion design, at Afropunk and Afrodiasporic aesthetics, at the people behind these perspectives, and at how the visual vocabulary of German cinema can evolve when different cultural experiences are not only represented on screen, but actively shape the way those images are created.

I would be delighted to speak with you about costume design, African Fashion, Black aesthetics, Afropunk and the ways in which new visual narratives can enrich German/ international cinema.

German theatrical release: 17 September 2026 Germany 2025 | 108 min.

Directed by Sheri Hagen

The film premiered at Filmfest Hamburg in 2025 and was awarded Best Feature Film at the Pan African Film & Arts Festival in 2026.

Warm regards,

Beatrace Oola

Head of Costume Design – BILLIE

Cast

Ruby Commey

Thelma Buabeng

Timo Jacobs

Sannrae Rehnström

Joy Ewulu Patrick

Abozen Anne Schäfer

Credits

Production: Equality

Film Director: Sheri Hagen

Cinematography: Cal Ola

German Distributor: Apolo Film

Sales & Distribution: Barnsteiner Film

Costume Department

Head of Costume Design: Beatrace Oola

Costume Assistant: Paul Kadjo Tailor

Designer: Tabitha Minott

Wardrobe & Temporary Assistant: Mirjana Ikuye Costume Design Intern: Mardjane Moussa

Curated Selection of Designers

In Jewls – character Nina Nio

Far by Milcos – character Angie

Paul Kadjo – character Rahel

Etuk Atelier – character Felix

Alexandra Tamele, former fashion designer – character Maya

contact: press@fashionafricanow.com