German Film @ Canada - Goethe-Institut

Free Canada-wide now at Toronto.Goethe-on-Demand.de
with English subtitles

Presented by the Goethe-Institut Toronto
with Breakthroughs Film Festival

Political persecution and sexual violence, motherhood and daughterhood, defining oneself, making family, shaping careers—plus ça change for women over the past 40 years, or did it? Female/feminist filmmakers from East, West and the reunited Germany, and roots as far as Iran, from the 80s to today examine the expectations, influences, dreams and desires in women’s lives. The films in this series challenge the systems that bind women and celebrate women’s achievements as they strive for equal rights and agency over their pasts and futures.

The series title is taken from anthropologist Jane Goodall’s appropriation of the derogatory term “difficult women:”
It actually doesn’t take much to be considered a difficult woman. That’s why there are so many of us.
Continue reading ""Difficult Women" > FREE @ GOETHE..." »

EFP European Film Promotion announced the ten European up-and-coming actors who will be honoured as EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS 2022. Germany will be represented by Emilio Sakraya in the 25th anniversary Shooting Stars edition. Previous German SHOOTING STARS include, amongst others, Albrecht Schuch, Jonas Dassler, Emma Drogunova, Franz Rogowski, Louis Hofmann, Jella Haase, Jannis Niewöhner, Daniel Brühl, Hannah Herzsprung, David Kross and Anna Maria Mühe.

Emilio Sakraya has shone in recent years thanks to his performances in films and series such as ELECTRO GHETTO, 4 BLOCKS, COLD FEET, WARRIOR NUN, THE SALVATION OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT and ONE NIGHT OFF. In Fatih Akin's upcoming feature RHEINGOLD, Emilio plays the lead role, rapper Xatar. Continue reading "Emilio Sakraya is the German Shooting Star 2022" »

On February 14, the Berlinale Co-Production Market, in cooperation with Frankfurter Buchmesse, will present ten exceptional books particularly suited for literary adaptation in "Books at Berlinale". At the pitching event, which has been presenting new publications, bestsellers and award winners every year since 2006, film producers can get in touch with the film rights holders online, the event being moderated by author/performer/filmmaker Syd Atlas.

Books by publishers, literary agents and authors from Brazil, Cameroon, France, Germany, Georgia, Israel, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom have been selected from a record number of over 190 submissions from more than 30 countries. Continue reading "10 Books at Berlinale 2022" »

The German robo-love story "I'm Your Man" by Maria Schrader ("Unorthodox") is on the shortlist of the last 15 films for the 94th Oscars® in the Best International Feature Film category. Alma (Maren Eggert) is a scientist at the famous Pergamon Museum in Berlin. In order to obtain research funds for her work, she is persuaded to participate in an extraordinary study. For three weeks, she is to live with a humanoid robot tailored to her character and needs, whose artificial intelligence is intended to be the perfect life partner for her. Alma meets up with Tom (Dan Stevens), a highly sophisticated machine in human form, created solely to make her happy. "I'm Your Man" tells of an encounter that may await us in the near future. It is a melancholy comedy that looks at questions of love, longing and what makes human beings human. The film was shown at numerous festivals worldwide, including Jerusalem, Toronto, Stockholm and Ghent. At this year's Berlinale, lead actress Maren Eggert was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Acting Performance.

Several German co-productions are also among the selection: "Great Freedom" by Sebastian Meise (AT/DE) for Austria; Continue reading "Germany x Oscar Shortlist" »

New projects by renowned directors such as Oskar Roehler ("Enfant Terrible"), Christoph Hochhäusler ("The Lies of the Victors") and Julia von Heinz ("And Tomorrow the Entire World") have received major German film funding, the last by Merkel's government and state minister for culture before the Green Party takes over the post.

Von Heinz' film adaptation of the novel "Too Many Men" on screen titled "Iron Box" tells the story of a young woman's journey with her father, a Holocaust survivor, to the places of his childhood. In "Abendland," video artist Omer Fast uses the mode of the fantastic to illuminate the real dangers of political radicalization, whereas Kanwal Sethi's new project "Between Us" tells of everyday racism in Germany with great sensitivity. In her second feature film, "Monster im Kopf," writer-director Christina Ebelt tells the story of a convicted violent offender who fights for a life together with her still unborn child. And Axel Ranisch dares the balancing act between cinema and opera in his new interpretation of the Eurydice play "Orpheus in Love".

In production are among others: Continue reading "Germany funds new feature film projects with $6m+" »

The Goethe-Institut presents the North American premiere of Precious Ivie at the EUFF 2021 Canada-wide until midnight EST 26 November! Here is director Sarah Blaßkiewitz in conversation with actor Benita Bailey:

The Goethe-Institut presents the North American premiere of Precious Ivie, which just won a German Film Award, at the EUFF 2021 for 48h only, Canada-wide, starting 25 November!


"Racial profiling is a fact of life." ... and therefore has to be in the film, thinks director Sarah Blaßkiewitz. An interview about her debut "Precious Ivie" -- the first German film with two Afro-German women in the leading roles:

Ivie, the protagonist in Sarah Blaßkiewitz's film "Precious Ivie," is just trying to gain a foothold as a young teacher in Leipzig. But suddenly her half-sister Naomi appears on her doorstep -- about whom she knew nothing until then. The more time she spends with Naomi, the more Ivie begins to question not only her identity as an Afro-German woman, but also her entire environment: her friends, her job, her family.

fluter.de: Your film is about friendship, family, identity - and everyday racism. Why did you choose these topics for your first feature film?
Sarah Blaßkiewitz: I knew from the beginning what I wanted to talk about: a protagonist who grows up with very good friends who are like a family to her -- with all the ups and downs. Everyday racism was automatically part of this narrative because I'm telling the story of two Afro-German women whose reality unfortunately includes experiencing racism. I wanted to show a world that I myself had not seen before in this way in the media. And in fact there have never before been two Afro-German women as protagonists in a German film. Continue reading ""Racial profiling is a fact of life."..." »

Free Canada-wide now at Toronto.Goethe-on-Demand.de

FemTech writer, performer, and activist T.L. Cowan (McLuhan Centre for Culture & Technology) introduces the launch to the Goethe-Institut Toronto's new online film series:

Spinning off of our #BerlinalePeople series, #GoetheTO is presenting a special edition of mini profiles of media industry influencers related to the Frankfurt Book Fair, which hosts Canada as a guest country of honour in 2020 and 2021. Meet the President and CEO of the Frankfurt Book Fair; the initiator of international partnerships and coordinator of the Frankfurt Book Fair's Book-to-Film activities at the Berlinale and Cannes; and the head of the Advisory Board Film @ Book Fair and Director of the DFF - Deutsches (German) Film Institute & Film Museum in Frankfurt.

Name & role: Niki Théron, Senior Manager International Projects at Frankfurter Buchmesse. Coordinator of Frankfurter Buchmesse “Book-to-Film” activities. Jury member Books at Berlinale 2022. Board member ENLIT – European Network for Literary Translation. In charge of the Frankfurt Fellowship Programme.

Dear Niki, picking out just one of the many film-related initiatives you oversee, tell us what a "Film Networking Day" looks like at the Frankfurt Book Fair, where you have hosted influential producers and directors from Quirin Berg (of Oscar winner The Lives of Others) to Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave). Continue reading "#Books-On-Film: Niki Théron, International..." »