Since it began in 2016, German Film Week has brought some of the best films Germany has to offer to Filipino audiences. This year, the annual film festival KinoFest will showcase 13 acclaimed German films, ranging from controversial documentaries to gripping dramas.
One of the highlights of the lineup includes Riefenstahl, a documentary centered on filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, who spent the 1930s making Nazi propaganda films but later denied any connections to Nazism. Directed by Andres Veiel, Riefenstahl has been praised for its unflinching look at the complicated auteur’s life, with RogerEbert.com writing that it “builds an overwhelming, indisputable case that not only was Riefenstahl a Nazi, but you also can’t separate the art from this artist’s politics.”
The festival lineup also includes the jazz musical Köln 75, the unplanned pregnancy drama Vena, the family thriller Das Licht, the World War II romance In Liebe, eure Hilde, the war comedy Another German Tank Story, the fantasy adventure Woodwalkers, and the animated feature Das Geheimnis von La Mancha.
KinoFest is also dedicated to spotlighting Philippine cinema, with five Filipino short films included in the KinoFest Specials lineup. These include Gab Mejia’s documentary Baradiya, Whammy Alcazaren’s experimental comedy Water Sports, Juvy Ann Clarito’s drama Sa Ilalum sa Balabal sa Alitaptap, Austin Tan’s coming-of-age drama Ngatta Naddaki y Nuang?, and Carl Joseph Lara’s fantasy Rumbles of the Earth.
KinoFest will run from October 16 to 19 at the Shangri-la Plaza in Mandaluyong. Screenings are free and open to the public.
