All films rated PG (Parental Guidance Advised) and subtitled in English.
01 Edge of Heaven (director Fatih Akin) – Wednesday April 30, 2008, 7pm - Murder, betrayal, political persecution and the redemptive power of friendship are expertly intertwined in this film from German-Turkish director Fatih Akin. A complicated tale that takes place in Germany and Turkey, it illustrates the powerful bonds that exist between parents and children, friends and lovers. Winner of the Best Screenplay Award at the Cannes Film Festival 2007. Director Fatih Akin’s previous Film Gegen die Wand/Head On won numerous awards including the European Film Award for Best Film.
02 Schroeder’s Wonderful World (director Michael Schorr) – Thursday May 1, 2008, 6:45pm - Frank Schroeder wants to build a tropical holiday paradise for rich retirees in the economically desolate no-man’s-land bordered by Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany. But the local residents reject his plans without exception – even his family won’t support him. But Schröder is not going to give up too easily. This is Schorr’s second feature film. His first, Schultze Gets the Blues, was an audience favourite at the Princess Cinema and won a Special Jury Award for Direction at the Venice Film Festival.
03 Falling (director Barbara Albert) – Friday May 2, 2008, 9:00pm - Five women in their early thirties reunite at the funeral of a former teacher in their small home town. All five start on a trip down memory lane, exposing old wounds and lifelong illusions. They begin to wonder if they have abandoned their ideals and dreams over the years – and if this means that their lives are already over. Barbara Albert is one of Austria’s leading filmmakers. Her films have twice been nominated for the Golden Lion Award for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival.
04 Yella (director Christian Petzold) – Saturday May 3, 2008, 7:00pm - Yella leavers her small town in eastern Germany and her failed marriage behind and heads west to Hanover. She discovers her knack for dealing with ruthless businessmen, and negotiations become a thrilling game of quick wits in which Yella's looks and icy demeanour are major assets. But strange voices and sounds are plaguing Yella – truths from her past coming back to haunt her. Yella is the second Christian Petzold film to be nominated for the Best Film Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. He is best known for the film Die innere Sicherheit/The State I Am In.
05 Netto (director Robert Thalheim) – Sunday May 4, 2008, 2:00pm - After years of separation, 15-year-old Sebastian suddenly appears on his father Marcel’s doorstep. Avoiding his heavily pregnant mother who wants him to live with her in a pleasant but dull Berlin suburb, Sebastian seeks refuge in his father’s dilapidated apartment in the Prenzlauer Berg neighbourhood. Netto was awarded Best Feature Film Debut Award by the German Film Critics Association in 2006.