German cinema has been engaging with Chinese cinephiles for 10 years, where is the UK?
Here at UK-China Film Collab (UCFC), we have been covering different European film festivals/seasons in China since our inception. We do that as an act of advocacy, to invite stakeholders in the UK to pay more attention to the importance of film for consistent cultural exchanges.
German Films and the Goethe Institut have been very active in practicing film diplomacy and there is a rising number of German cinema followers in China across different cities. This year, the festival will tour around 4 cities after its opening in Beijing.
This year’s festival (24 March – 2 April) sees the biggest progarmme to date, with 14 films selected, all are the latest best titles from German cinema.
The opening film of the FGC 2023 is Rabiye Kurnaz vs George W. Bush, directed by Andreas Dresen, which was the winner of both Silver Berlin Bear Best Screenplay and Silver Berlin Bear Best Leading Performance at the Berlin International Film Festival 2022. The film tells the story of a Turkish German housewife who travels between three countries and three cultures to save her son from Guantanamo Bay.
Official Programme:
Le Prince (2021)
The Exam (2021)
Daughters (2021)
Quiet Freedom (2021)
Rabiye Kurnaz vs George W. Bush (2022)
Everything Will Change (2022)
Love, Deutschmarks and Death (2022)
Contra (2021)
Axiom (2022)
No (2021)
Bettina (2022)
Sorry Comrade (2022)
Aeiou (2022)
A Stasi Comedy (2022)
Find out more about the festival via its official website here.