Overview
Each year, the Berlin International Film Festival premieres a treasure trove of flicks that movie buffs will be talking about for months to come, and longer, including when said titles make their way to Australia. It also understandably goes big on new German cinema, which often heads Down Under via the German Film Festival — and that touring event now has the 2023 program to prove it.
Heading to Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Byron Bay throughout May, this year's German Film Festival sees Palace Cinemas team up with German Films, which is devoted to promoting the nation's movies internationally, on an impressive lineup. Here, recent and retro features sit by side, including five new efforts that debuted at Berlinale back in February, all of which are now making their Australian premieres.
Film lovers can look forward to The Teacher's Lounge with Babylon Berlin's Leonie Benesch, which follows a teacher struggling over a series of thefts at her school; Sisi, the latest take on Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary after Corsage, this time featuring Toni Erdmann's Sandra Hüller as her lady-in-waiting; and Ingeborg Bachmann — Journey into the Desert, as led by Corsage star Vicky Krieps as the titular writer. And, there's also the 1990-set Someday We'll Tell Each Other Everything, which stems from the page — plus crime-thriller Till the End of the Night, which won actor Thea Ehre Berlinale's Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance.
The German Film Festival kicks off with A Thousand Lines, hailing from Balloon filmmaker Michael Herbig, and diving into the IRL 2018 fake news scandal involving a journalist disgraced from Der Spiegel. At the other end, it'll close with Over & Out, Germany's addition to the spate of flicks about women reuniting with their old pals years later (see also: Off the Rails).
Another hefty highlight: big focuses on the glorious city that is Berlin and also music, both via retrospective picks. So, add Christiane F, which follows the eponymous 14-year-old through 70s-era West Berlin and features David Bowie as himself, to your must-see list on the big screen. Add Wim Wenders' stunning Wings of Desire, about angels observing daily life but unable to interact with it, too. And, B-Movie: List & Sound in West Berlin 1979–1989 belongs in the same category with its archival footage and interviews, complete with Nick Cave, Joy Division and '99 Luftballons' band Nena.
Other standouts include In a Land That No Longer Exists, as based on director Aelrun Goette's experiences in the 80s; documentary Merkel, about Germany's first female chancellor; crime comedy The Peacock; and body swapping in sci-fi Skin Deep.
The German Film Festival is also celebrating Austrian and Swiss films, such as World War II drama The Fox and Vienna-set love story First Snow of Summer from the former, as well as And Tomorrow We Will Be Dead, about two Swiss citizens held hostage by the Taliban, from the latter.
GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL 2023 DATES:
Tuesday, May 2–Wednesday, May 24 — Palace Norton Street, Chauvel Cinema and Palace Central, Sydney
Wednesday, May 3–Wednesday, May 24 — Palace Electric, Canberra
Wednesday, May 3–Wednesday, May 24 — Palace James St and Palace Barracks, Brisbane
Wednesday, May 3–Wednesday, May 24 — Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas, Adelaide
Thursday, May 4–Wednesday, May 24 — Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema, Palace Westgarth and The Astor Theatre, Melbourne
Thursday, May 4–Wednesday, May 24 — Luna Leederville, Luna on SX and Palace Raine Square, Perth
Thursday, May 4–Wednesday, May 24 — Palace Byron Bay
The German Film Festival Australia tours the country from throughout May 2023. For more information, visit the festival website.