OPENING FILM: Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush
Thursday, November 10, 7 pm
Goethe-Institut Washington
1377 R St. NW, Ste. 300
Washington, DC 20009
Metro: U Street (Green), Shaw (Green), Dupont Circle (Red)
Because capacity in the Goethe-Institut Washington is extremely limited, we request that all guests reserve a ticket via Eventbrite for a donation of $5 (all extra fees absorbed by organizer). The proceeds will go entirely to the Friends of the Goethe-Institut in Washington, DC.
Ticket holders will be admitted to choose their seats on a first-come, first-served basis.
Tickets
Germany/France (2022) 119 min. German/English/Turkish w/ English Subtitles
Director: Andreas Dresen, Screenplay: Laila Stieler, Cast: Meltem Kaptan, Alexander Scheer, Charly Hübner, Abdullah Emre Öztürk, Producers: Claudia Steffen, Christoph Friedel, Production Company: Pandora Film Produktion
October 2001. Bremen, Germany. For Rabie Kurnaz (Kaptan), a loving wife and mother, her close-knit Turkish-German immigrant family is the center of her world. Shortly after her oldest son Murat (Öztürk) goes missing, the Kurnaz’ learn that he has been arrested in Pakistan, detained without trial and sent to the Guauntanomo Bay Detention Camp as a suspected terrorist. Rabiye immediately springs into action, but soon finds herself alone and out of her depth. Things change for the dedicated, albeit impulsive and impatient Rabiye, when she finds Bernhard Docke (Scheer), a level-headed human rights lawyer, who takes on her case. Together, the two find themselves enmeshed in global politics as they battle for the release of her son, all the way to the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. Veteran filmmaker Andreas Dresen skillfully directs Kaptan’s award-winning blend of drama and humor in her portrayal of the real Rabiye Kurnaz. Laila Stieler’s award-winning screenplay captures Kurnaz’ determination and dedication to her family and justice.
SELECT AWARDS:
German Film Awards 2022: Best Film (Silver),Best Lead Actress (Meltem Kaptan),Best Supporting Actor (Alexander Scheer).
Berlinale 2022: Guild Film AwardBest Screenpay -SilverBest Lead Actress - Siver (Meltem Kaptan)
Deutscher Schauspielpreis 2022: Dramatic Lead (Meltem Kaptan) Nationaler Friedenspreis des Deutschen Films – Die Brücke 2022
Andreas Dresen was born in 1963 in Gera, Germany and studied Directing at the "Konrad Wolf" University of Film & Television in Potsdam-Babelsberg. Since 1992, he works as a writer and director for film, TV and theater. A selection of his award-winning films includes: STILLES LAND (1992), NACHTGESTALTEN (1998), HALBE TREPPE (2001), WILLENBROCK (2004), SOMMER VORM BALKON (2005), WOLKE 9 (2008), HALT AUF FREIER STRECKE (2011), ALS WIR TRÄUMTEN (2015). THE LEGEND OF TIMM THALER (2017). GUNDERMANN (2018).
Film|Neu is a cooperation of the Goethe-Institut Washington, the Austrian Cultural Forum Washington, and the Embassy of Switzerland in the United States, with support from JxJ and DC Shorts. Film|Neu is generously funded by the Friends of the Goethe-Institut in Washington, DC.