This spring the Goethe-Institut New Zealand will be celebrating the 8^th German Film Festival. Cinemagoers can look forward to the best new
releases from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Admission to all films
is free of charge.

The festival will kick off in Wellington (21-24 Sept), followed by
Christchurch (28 Sept & 1 Oct), Dunedin (1-2 Oct), New Plymouth (4-9
Oct) and Auckland (10-16 Oct).

Headlining the programme is a legal thriller that dramatizes the hunt
for Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann. It tells the story of lawyer
Fritz Bauer who took on the West German establishment in order to bring
Eichmann to justice. Bauer faced blackmail and intimidation from
powerful figures intent on protecting former Nazis within their own
ranks. Directed by Lars Kraume, ‘The People vs Fritz Bauer’
picked up six Lola statuettes including Best Film, Best Screenplay and
Best Director at this year’s German Film Awards. Burghart Klaussner
(‘Bridge of Spies’, ‘The White Ribbon’) stars as Bauer.

Other highlights include ‘Fukushima, mon amour’ from
acclaimed director Doris Dörrie. Beautifully shot in black and white,
the film is a haunting exploration of human survival in the aftermath of
nuclear disaster.

‘Me and Kaminski’ reunites the director and star of
‘Good Bye, Lenin!’ for a fantastically entertaining journey through life
and art. Daniel Brühl plays an unscrupulous journalist determined to
make his name with a biography of a blind painter – who turns out to see
straight through him.

The full line-up – including documentaries, drama, comedy and a fresh
new adaption of a children’s classic – will be announced in August.

All ten films will screen in their original language with English subtitles.

For more information, please contact:

Ulrike Rosenfeld, Goethe-Institut New Zealand

arts@wellington.goethe.org, Ph 04 3856924