This June, the 2022 German Film Festival will showcase some of the best contemporary German cinema, direct from major festivals in Europe – plus a selection from its German-speaking neighbours Austria and Switzerland.
This year’s festival Special Presentation is ‘Dear Thomas (Lieber Thomas)’, a historical monochrome biopic of East German writer and filmmaker Thomas Brasch. It stars rising star Albrecht Schuch. Brasch was born as a German-Jewish emigrant in England, moving to the German Democratic Republic (GDR) with his family in the 1950s. Growing up, he struggles with the reality of censorship in communist East Germany.
Gripping historical drama ‘The Last Execution (Nahschuss)’ stars Lars Eidinger and is based on the real-life case of Werner Teske. Tempted by the offer of a prestigious professorship, an ambitious scientist is convinced to work for the GDR’s Stasi in 1981 East Berlin. . . But is soon accused of espionage.
‘Contra’ is a smart comedy directed by Sönke Wortmann, starring Christoph Maria Herbsts, Nilam Farooq and Hassan Akkouch. A law student prepares for a debating competition with the help of a cynical professor who has been given a final chance to redeem himself, after a video of him insulting a student goes viral.
The Goethe-Institut will again contribute Kino For Kids in addition to a celebration of the organisation’s 50-year anniversary in Australia. . . With a special selection of films from the 1970s to the 2020s to be announced.
‘The Last Execution (Nahschuss)’
The Kino For Kids sidebar includes 'Mission Ulja Funk', 'A Secret Book Of Friendship – The Greatest Adventure Of Their Life (Nachtwald)', 'School Of Magical Animals (Die Schule der magischen Tiere)', 'Tales Of Franz (Die Geschichten vom Franz)', and 'The Wall Between Us (Zwischen uns die Mauer)'.
The Goethe-Institut is proud to be a close partner of the German Film Festival,” Goethe-Institut Australia Director Christoph Mücher says.
“To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Goethe-Institut Australia we invite the audience to a cinematic journey through German film and to enjoy five great German film classics from the last five decades. We are equally excited to contribute the popular sidebar Kino For Kids which offers young audiences, schools and families a fantastic collection of the latest German language films, all of them Australian premieres.”
Tickets are on sale 5 May.
German Film Festival 2022 Tour Dates
24 May-19 June – Palace Norton Street, Chauvel Cinemas, Palace Central (Sydney)25 May-19 June – Palace Electric (Canberra)
25 May-19 June – Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, The Kino & Pentridge Cinema (Melbourne)
1-22 June – Palace James St, Palace Barracks (Brisbane)
2-22 June – Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas (Adelaide)
2-22 June – Luna Leederville, Luna on SX & Palace Raine Square (Perth)
3-19 June – Palace Byron Bay
