Curatorial text

It is 2024, almost a quarter into the 21st century. Germany is a country with a society growing increasingly diverse and complex, striving to embrace this reality by adjusting itself to represent multiple voices, particularly through its younger population.

The Kinofest 2024 program takes youth as a focal point to experience society, both through fictional and documentary characters. Through their eyes, we are invited to learn about the journey of self-discovery, navigating changes in countries and cultures, as young people shape their identities and become more independent. The world continues to develop different ties that bind it together, yet each journey is personal, situated within starkly contrasting realities that grow stronger each day. Cinema proposes ways to connect and to take notice of voices from different positions, and this is precisely the space we want to offer through this festival.

The German film industry has a long history of harboring diverse talents since the late 19th century, rich with experiments in genre, style, and languages. The available filmmaking infrastructure, from film studios to subsidy systems, film schools, and festivals, has made it possible for a broad range of talents to bring their ideas to life and realize them as cinematic visions. Filmmakers of diverse heritage and lived experiences find their personal expression in cinema, introducing new ways to reinvent existing storytelling traditions. They don’t just tell stories differently; they also tell different stories. To do so, they explore various possibilities: what if we could creatively fabulate the past using computer graphic tools or moving paintings?

These cinematic experiments offer the audience adventures into the vast space of imagination. Kinofest features films that are records of real stories, dealing with collective loss and pain, as well as growing up, discovering one’s purpose in life, and forming a family or community. This form of cinema allows us to reflect on the challenges of German society today, dealing with the traces of traumatic past and the history of violent reactions to migrant communities. The program also features crafted stories of disfavored romances, mystery, moral dilemmas, and growing friendships. Alongside the documentaries, they provide a comprehensive glimpse of recent releases that have successfully toured cinemas or festivals in Germany and abroad. All films show a strong connectivity on a global level, with each personal journey offering a unique experience to learn from the challenges of migration, disability, or gender issues.

By featuring these diverse narratives, Kinofest 2024 aims to highlight the role of cinema to bridge cultural gaps, illustrate national contexts, and create a shared space for empathy and pleasure, reflecting the ever-evolving tapestry of German society and beyond.