German Film Festival 2019

Overview

Australian film festival season is in full swing, filling Brisbane's big screens with cinema from around the globe. After showcasing French and Spanish flicks so far this year, it's Germany's turn. From Thursday, May 30 to Wednesday, June 12, the annual fest will head to Palace Barracks and Palace James Street to serve up the best new movies from the country that gave us Metropolis, Das Boot, Run Lola Run, and the one and only Werner Herzog.

While none of the above are on the German Film Festival bill, there's a very good reason for that. Here, you'll discover new favourites rather than revisit old ones. It all begins with the thrilling true tale of two families on a daring flight from East to West Germany — and with a name like Balloon, you should take the 'flight' part literally. Also on the agenda: a documentary celebrating Walter Gropius' Bauhaus movement, award-winning World War II imposter tale The Captain, and a comedy about naming a baby Adolf. Or, you can see what happens when a couple of pals try to ditch all of their belongings in 100 Days.

There is a blast from the past, thanks to closing night's 1931 film version of Bertolt Brecht's The Threepenny Opera. There's also a dramatised take on the efforts to bring the production to life on the stage back in 1928, aka Mack the Knife — Brecht's Threepenny Film.

Fancy casting your eyes around the world, even at a German film festival? You can do just that with a few new picks from Austria and Switzerland as well.