“We are happy to share news about this year’s edition of German Currents. In cooperation with the American Cinematheque, we’re opening this year’s festival with two films at the Los Feliz 3 Theatre. The programming continues throughout the weekend with more films at the new Goethe-Institut project space in MacArthur Park. This October also marks our one-year anniversary in our new location in this diverse community. We are grateful for the deep connections we have made in the community and look forward to celebrating this milestone with our wonderful German Currents audience.”
German Currents 2022 will open with an exclusive in-person screening of the LA Premiere of acclaimed director Andreas Dresen’s award-winning (German Film Award in Silver) RABIYE KURNAZ VS. GEORGE W. BUSH, followed by an opening night screening of the west coast premiere of WE MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD, by director Natalia Sinelnikova. The film opened the program Perspective Deutsches Kino at Berlinale 2022. The festival will continue with Andreas Kleinert’s DEAR THOMAS, and PRECIOUS IVIE, directed by Sarah Blasskiewitz. Both films will celebrate their LA premieres. To complete their festival program, German Currents will bring back its popular family matinee with a screening of THE PEPPERCORNS AND THE SECRET OF THE DEEP SEA, directed by Christian Theede.
Friday, October 21 @ the Los Feliz 3
2022, The Match Factory. Germany/France, 119 min. Dir. Andreas Dresen
October 2001. Bremen, Germany. For Rabie Kurnaz (Meltem Kaptan), a loving wife and mother, her close-knit Turkish-German immigrant family is the center of her world. Shortly after her oldest son Murat (Abdullah Emre Öztürk) goes missing, the Kurnaz’ learn that he has been arrested in Pakistan, detained without trial, and sent to the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp as a suspected terrorist. Rabiye immediately springs into action but soon finds herself alone and out of her depth. Things change for the dedicated, albeit impulsive and impatient Rabiye when she finds Bernhard Docke (Alexander Scheer), a level-headed human rights lawyer, who takes on her case. Together, the two find themselves enmeshed in global politics as they battle for her son’s release, all the way to the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. Veteran filmmaker Andreas Dresen skillfully directs Kaptan’s award-winning blend of drama and humor in her portrayal of the real Rabiye Kurnaz. Laila Stieler’s award-winning screenplay captures Kurnaz’ determination and dedication to her family and justice.
2022, Fortissimo Films. Germany, 93 min. Dir. Natalia Sinelnikova
In Natalia Sinelnikova’s feature film debut, the microcosm of the high-rise provides the setting for an eerie, nuanced, and satirical portrait of a timeless dystopian experiment. Anna (Iacob) and her teenage daughter Iris (Geiger) live in an exclusive apartment building near the edge of an unnamed forest. Secluded, secure, and self-contained, the complex is famous for its curated list of residents. To live here, shielded from a dangerous environment, is the goal. As head of security, Anna holds one of the most critical positions within the community. Life within the idyllic complex seems perfect until caretaker Gerti‘s (Schüttauf) dog mysteriously disappears, sparking panic among the residents. What follows is an unsettling, slow-burning series of events that send the already paranoid tenants spiraling towards mass hysteria. Award-winning cinematographer Jan Mayntz artfully captures the bleak reality of Sinelnikova and Gallandi’s screenplay that resonates with current social and political issues.
2022, Beta Cinema. Germany, 150 min. Dir. Andreas Kleinert
German Film Awards 2022: Best Film (Gold), Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Lead Actor (Albrecht Schuch), Best Supporting Actress (Jella Haase), Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Set Design, Best Costumes. Bavarian Film Awards 2022: Best Actor (Albrecht Schuch)
8:00 PM Screening of
2021, Weydemann Bros. Germany, 112 min. Dir. Sarah Blaßkiewitz
Ivie (Haley Luise Jones) is a 30-year-old German woman with African roots living in Leipzig, whose life seems to be at a standstill. Struggling to land a permanent teaching position, she spends her time between job interviews, hanging out with her friends, who’ve nicknamed her “Shoko” (literally Choco), and working a part-time job. However, Ivie’s life is up-ended when Naomi (Lorna Ishema), her half-sister from Berlin, shows up unexpectedly with news of their father’s death and his upcoming funeral in Senegal. Neither sister knew their father, nor did they know each other. But as the sisters from two very different cities and backgrounds grow closer, Ivie begins to question her nickname, culture, and self-image as she finds the strength within herself to move forward. Writer-Director Sarah Blaßkiewitz’s multi-award-winning feature debut is an intelligently crafted examination of identity and everyday racism.
Festival of German Films Ludwigshafen 2021: Best Film.
Achtung berlin 2021 – new berlin film award: Best Acting (Haley Louise Jones and Lorna Ishema). Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2019: Baltic Event Works in Progress – Award.
2020, Globalscreen. Germany, 94 min. Dir. Christian Theede
Germany’s beloved and unbeatable team of teenage detectives is back. When Alice (Flint) visits her friend Tarun (Fischer-Ortmann) on the coast of Northern Ireland for summer vacation, neither of them can imagine the adventure that awaits them. Tarun’s mother, Jaswinder (Abbas), is an oceanographer working on a secret project to reduce plastic waste in the ocean. Shortly after her top secret documents are stolen, Jaswinder disappears without a trace. While tracking down clues to hopefully find Jaswinder, Alice and Tarun come face to face with Robert Fleckmann (Ferch), a suspicious business executive who seems to know too much about Jaswinder’s research. Alice and Tarun suddenly find themselves tangled up in a mystery that they can only solve with the help of their Peppercorn friends: Jonny (Pütz), Clarissa (Martz), and Hanna (Madita). Theede’s film brings the beloved German television series to the big screen for another family-friendly adventure filled with courage, humor, action, suspense, and an inspiring cast of young characters determined to change their world for the better.
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