The 2022 German Film Festival returns to Perth June 2 – 22, showcasing the best contemporary German cinema direct from major festivals in Europe, plus a selection from its German-speaking neighbours – Austria and Switzerland – at Palace Cinemas Raine Square, Luna Leederville and Luna on SX.
The full programme can be seen online here, however we were lucky to hear from the Festival's Director herself, Elysia Zeccola, on the highlights of the festival.
A Stasi Comedy
Stasikomödie
A man’s double life as an underground poet and a Stasi agent in East Berlin in the 1980s comes back to haunt him 30 years later in this comedy starring David Kross and Tom Schilling. Making its Australian premiere on the 2nd of June at Luna Leederville, A Stasi Comedy features a stellar cast that utilises light-hearted humour to tell a story grappled by past, and the truth's hidden within a double life.
Dear Thomas
Lieber Thomas
This historical monochrome biopic of East German writer and filmmaker Thomas Brach, starring Albrecht Schuch, reveals a deeply subversive artist who finds comfort on neither side of the Wall. The story follows Thomas' life, from protesting in Berlin, Set in Berlin in 1968 as Soviet tanks emerge in Prague, his works regarding love, revolt and death, and his success in the West with his writings.
The Forger
Der Passfälscher
An illuminating drama that follows the true story of Samson “Cioma” Schönhaus, a Jewish graphic artist who hid in plain sight in 1940s Berlin, moving freely about the city using fake documents, while secretly forging IDs to help hundreds of others. As Samson refuses to let the Nazi's take away his freedom and zest for life, he discovers his talent for faking documents and creating new identities, which motivates him to use such skills to help others.
The Last Execution
Nahschuss
This gripping historical drama starring Lars Eidinger is based on the real-life case of Werner Teske. Tempted by the offer of a prestigious professorship, an ambition scientist is convinced to work for the GDR’s Stasi in 1981 East Berlin, but its soon accused of espionage. Shot amongst locations in Berlin, The Last Execution paints an authentic picture of the harsh realities in the GDR system, and their destructive impact.
The German Lesson
Deutschstunde
While in a juvenile detention centre and tasked to write an essay on duty, a young man's memories of his childhood during the Second World War come flooding back to him in this compelling drama. In childhood flashbacks, eleven-year old Siggi rebels against his policeman father to help a family friend enforced with a work ban. The compelling drama is inspired by the bestselling German post-war novel by acclaimed author Siegfried Lenz, The German Lesson is an atmospheric adaptation from director Christian Schwochow.
See all of these and more, at the German Film Festival, opening Thursday the 2nd of June.