A week-long German film festival is open in Hanoi from September 6-12.
The festival features famous German films from the 1990s, the era during the reunification of East and West Germany with all its problems, but also a period which produced many interesting films about young Germans who were coping with their changing worlds.
The films introduced at this time include Germany, Germany by Peter Fleischmann (1990), the Blackest Heart by Christoph Schlingensief (1990), The Nasty Girl by Michael Verhoeven (1990), “Ostkreuz” by Michael Klier (1991), After Five in the Forest Primeval by Hans-Christian Schmid (1995), Beyond Silence by Caroline Link (1996) and Run Lola Run by Tom Tykwer (1998).
In “Germany, Germany”, director Peter Fleischmann documents the mood in West and East Germany in the first year after the fall of the wall using fascinating snapshots. He speaks with workers, employees, pensioners, the unemployed and listens as they describe their feelings about the changes and their fears about the future.
Peter Fleischmann is one of the ‘Jungen Wilden’ (young wild ones) who influenced German cinema in the 60’s. His films take a critical view of society and are concerned with the problem of the forced assimilation of the individual into an uncomprehending environment. He was honored in 2010 at the Munich Film Festival with a lifetime achievement award.
The film week is part of the “60 years of German Cinema” event, one of many events in a programme called “Germany Year in Vietnam”. It is held every two months, featuring a decade in German cinema history and presenting films which defined their times. All the films are being screened at the Goethe-Institut Hanoi, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hanoi.
