The 13th edition of the GoetheFEST film festival, organized by the Goethe-Institut, was officially opened on Thursday, October 10, at the Cultural Center Hall in Belgrade. At the opening, Zorana Đaković Minniti, Deputy Director of the Cultural Center Belgrade, Anke Konrad, the German Ambassador to Serbia, and Sunčica Šido, the festival program curator, addressed the audience.
In her speech, Zorana Đaković Minniti said: “When you look back at some of the previous editions of GoetheFEST and their titles, you can always find words like reality, realness, and life, which are almost always a part of the fiction and the selection of films shown at the festival. In that reality, which is increasingly driven by profit and spectacle, and which we wish to resist, I want to believe that collaborations like the one between the Cultural Center of Belgrade and GoetheFEST represent a possible factor of resistance to a society driven solely by profit.”
Anke Konrad, the German Ambassador to Serbia, in her introductory speech, highlighted: “This year’s GoetheFEST motto, ‘Optimistically Disoriented,’ reflects a mood that every fall reminds me of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany. A time when many certainties collapsed almost overnight. Newly gained freedom mixed with uncertainty. However, we can all find ourselves optimistically disoriented—whether in our private lives, among friends, at work, or in society. Changes are a part of our lives, and sometimes they throw us off track. And they affect each of us in different ways. It all begins with the decision of how we choose to view the events around us and the role we wish to play in them.”
Anke Konrad added that she is convinced the films shown at the festival “will inspire us all and invite dialogue,” naming her personal favorite as the film “On the Other Side of the Blue Border,” which she believes “powerfully captures the dilemma faced by many young people in the last days of the GDR—between their right to their own dreams and state repression.”
Sunčica Šido, GoetheFEST program curator and Goethe-Institut cultural program coordinator, addressed the audience with the words: “We live in a time where internal and external crises and conflicts threaten to overwhelm us. This year’s film selection was shaped by reflections on a direction that is increasingly difficult to maintain in the abundance of hyper-rapidly changing diffuse information from unreliable sources. Yet, a touch of optimism remains. Hence this year’s slogan under which we present seven contemporary German auteur films.”
Following the introductory speeches, the festival’s film program opened with the screening of “15 Years” – an epic drama film that tells a powerful and emotional story of a former pianist confronting her violent past, while balancing elements of a revenge thriller and a tragic character portrait. The main role is played by Hannah Herzsprung, portraying a character who struggles between mania and depression, and whose extraordinary acting gives energy and depth to the story. The film explores universal themes like revenge, grace, and the acceptance of the inevitable.
The Belgrade program of the 13th GoetheFEST runs from October 10 to 13 at the Cultural Center of Belgrade. After the opening film, the audience will be able to watch six more films: ‘Jonja’ by Annika Mecke, ‘The Devil’s Spring’ by the director duo Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, ‘Franky Five Star’ by Birgit Meeler, ‘Out of My Skin’ by Alex Schad, ‘On the Other Side of the Blue Border’ by Sara Neumann, and ‘Dead Angle’ by the renowned German-Kurdish screenwriter and director Ayşe Polat.
The Novi Sad program of GoetheFEST will be held at the Cultural Center of Novi Sad from October 17 to 20, and the Niš program will take place at Cineplexx Niš cinema hall 5 from October 24 to 27, 2024, in collaboration with the Niš Cultural Center.
GoetheFEST has been held since 2012 and showcases the best of contemporary German cinema. The program traditionally focuses on award-winning and acclaimed films from international festivals that present German auteur cinema.
For more information about the festival program, visit the festival website: https://www.goethe.de/ins/cs/sr/kul/sup/gf4.html
