From Oct 11th through Oct 14th, 2024, German Currents will take place at the American Cinematheque (Egyptian & Los Feliz 3 Theatres), the Gardena Cinema, and the Goethe-Institut space, rooted in the MacArthur Park neighborhood community. The Goethe-Institut, the German cultural center is a vibrant and a cutting-edge space for the arts. It is a vital center that connects people and builds a bridge between culture and communities through inclusive experiences, exhibits, concerts, screenings, and lively discussions.
Festival Director and Director of the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, Mrs. Luisa Rath-John says: “Film, unlike any other art form, has the power to connect us as human beings. It allows us to empathize with others and step into their shoes, to travel across borders, and even travel through time. The films selected for the 18th edition of the German Currents film festival will give you the opportunity to delve into the tragic, yet beautifully romantic, last year of Franz Kafka’s life, question the concept of who or what is “normal,” and slip on the soccer shoes of 11-year-old Mona, a young girl from Syria, who experiences challenges as a refugee in Germany.“
She adds, “As the new director of the Goethe-Institut in Los Angeles, I am proud to present some of the best new German cinema to the audiences of Southern California. The German Currents team and I look forward to welcoming you to the festival and to the opportunity to meet and engage with you, our audience and share the transformative power of cinema with you all.“
German Currents 2024 will open with the exclusive red-carpet LA premiere of multi-award-winning writer-director Sonja Heiss’ German box office and festival favorite, WHEN WILL IT BE AGAIN LIKE IT NEVER WAS BEFORE, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Joachim Meyerhoff and starring Devid Striesow (ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, THE COUNTERFEITERS, AGE OF CANNIBALS). The premiere will be followed by a gala reception at the Egyptian Theatre.
The festival weekend continues with the US premiere of the popular short film showcase NEXT GENERATION SHORT TIGER 2024; the US premiere of director Sarah Neumann’s feature-length film debut, BEYOND THE BLUE BORDER, depicting the absurdities of life under East German rule and starring Lena Urzendowsky (FRANKY FIVE STAR, Netflix’s DARK, and HOW TO SELL DRUGS ONLINE (Fast)), and writer-director Fabian Stumm’s relationship drama, BONES AND NAMES, all presented at the Goethe-Institut. At the American Cinematheque’s Los Feliz 3 theater, German Currents will present the LA premiere of multi-award-winning cinematographer-director Judith Kaufmann and director Georg Maas’ historical drama THE GLORY OF LIFE, capturing the final year and romance in the life of writer Franz Kafka, as well as US premiere of writer-director Aslı Özarslan’s ELBOW, based on the novel “Ellbogen” by Fatma Aydemir.
Completing the festival program, the annual German Currents children’s matinee returns to the Goethe-Institut on Sunday, October 13th, with a free LA Premiere screening of writer-director Soleen Yusef’s winner of the German Film Award for best Youth and Children’s Film, WINNERS, that will also be presented as a special invite-only educational screening for LA area schools on Monday, October 14th at the Gardena Cinema. A discussion with Soleen Yusef following both events.
In addition to the festival’s film programming, the annual filmmaker brunch, presented in cooperation with the German Film Office and the Villa Aurora is planned to feature a conversation with Soleen Yusef. Yusef, whose directorial credits include HAUS OHNE DACH (2016), episodes of Amazon Prime’s DEUTSCHLAND 89, and Disney+’s SAM – A SAXON, is one of GERMAN FILMS’ 2024 Face to Face with German Films ambassadors.
The festival takes place at the following locations:
THE EGYPTIAN THEATRE: 6712 HOLLYWOOD BVLD, LOS ANGELES, CA 90028
LOS FELIZ 3: 1822 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
GOETHE-INSTITUT LOS ANGELES: 1901 West 7th St. Suite AB, Los Angeles, CA 90057
GARDENA CINEMA: 14948 Crenshaw Blvd, Gardena, CA 90249
