The online film series in cooperation with the Goethe Institute Boston is a special highlight of this year’s German American Conference!
Our film series consists of diverse recent and award-winning German and American films in different genres that are available for streaming the last two weeks before the conference weekend.
This year’s film series opens up new perspectives on the leading societal challenges on both sides of the Atlantic such as racism, sexism, homophobia, immigration, and religion through the unique format of film. A particular focus is placed on the different kinds of narratives used in the movies: which stories are told and made visible, which stories are not represented, and why? Who tells the stories, and how do certain filmmakers achieve changes in narration with their work and their films?
Each of the films challenges the viewer through indirect storytelling that does not reveal the problem right away but instead develops it in all its complexity throughout the film. The films invite the viewer to question their own self-images, and by focusing on the structurally disadvantaged groups, the films clearly show that even the much talked about issues such as racism and the unequal treatment of women are still red-hot and in urgent need of awareness and initiative.
Many thanks to all the filmmakers involved for their generous cooperation; Sara Fazilat, whose contacts and curatorial work played a central role in the realization of this year’s film series; and the Goethe Institute Boston, especially Karin Oehlenschläger, for making this film series possible.
All films will be shown in their original language with English subtitles.
Imagine that your parents are white but your skin color is dark and they tell you that’s pure coincidence. This is what happened to a girl in East Berlin in the 1960s. Years before, a group of African men came to study in a village nearby. Here, the East German woman Sigrid falls in love with Lucien from Togo and gets pregnant. But she is already married to Armin. The child is filmmaker Ines Johnson-Spain. Meeting her stepfather Armin and others from her childhood years, she tracks the astonishing strategies of denial her parents and the surroundings had developed. In an intimate portrayal but also a critical exploration, she brings together painful and confusing childhood memories with matter-of-fact accounts that testify to a culture of rejection and tight-lipped denial.
Three young female activists in Hong Kong, Chile, and Uganda are hoping to make changes in their countries. They must also cope with the staggering impacts of their activism on their personal lives.
Greta M., a woman with a post-modern, slightly flawed biography as an architect, loses her job. She is also fired from her job at the call center. On this tour de force between call center, job hunting, employment office, coach, architect’s offices, school, pubs, and drifts through the suburbs, she comes upon the “City of Women”: extra money-earning mums and untainted estate agents in Germany’s service sector.
Malik has been waiting to see Phillip for some time. He ghosted him before, but now he has arrived at his apartment, and after making out and having some light conversation, they do what was desired. But, something bothers Malik. Phillip keeps looking past him, and after having sex, issues with a pair of handcuffs lead to an uncomfortable conversation about race in Germany and how being in an interracial relationship affects them.
In the Old City of Hyderabad, Raisa hatches a dangerous plan to save her younger sister from becoming a one-day bride when she finds an archaic remedy that could restore a girl’s virginity.
When a struggling single mother befriends a mysterious woman who has supernatural powers, she sees a lucrative opportunity to make some fast cash. However, their crime spree soon draws unwanted attention as the cops start to close in.
Nico, German-Persian, emancipated and happy, is the most popular geriatric nurse for her patients. With her best friend Rosa, she enjoys the summer in Berlin. A xenophobic attack tears the self-confident Nico from her self-determined everyday life. Waking up in the hospital, she realizes that she doesn’t seem to be a part of it after all.
Three teenage girls from Vienna twerk in hijab and sing a pop song. A YouTube video of it makes them famous overnight, especially among Kurdish Muslims. Yesmin, the only one of the friends who is Kurdish herself, begins to distance herself more and more from her culture. Nati and Bella, on the other hand, seem fascinated by a world that is strange to them. When the girls meet two young Kurdish patriots, the situation threatens to escalate. A film about young people caught between social media and self-discovery, a story of rebellious young women.
For the past 14 years, the German American Conference has provided a space for discussing the world’s most pressing issues. From October 28th-30th, we will host a series of panels, workshops, and networking sessions to bring together leaders, politicians, students, and changemakers.
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