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An analysis of The Magic Mountain, a novel by the German writer Thomas Mann (1875-1955), published in November 1924.

Juno is dead. As advanced as medicine is in the year 2030, it couldn't save Hanna's daughter's life. Juno has not been around for two years now and yet Hanna spends every day with her. There is a cube in Juno's nursery, the "Echoehub". The device is controlled by an artificial intelligence that can be fed information about the deceased and calculates possible scenarios that the deceased could have experienced in the future. Again and again, Hanna lives through new scenarios in which she accompanies Juno through all the happy milestones that she can no longer experience. Hanna's wife Paula initially thought the AI in the children's room was a good way of grieving, but over the past few months she has increasingly reached her limit. She decides to put her wife into cold turkey, but what she didn't expect was the drastic measures Hanna is prepared to take in her search for happiness.

In a world where youth is celebrated as the pinnacle of life’s adventures, the young and vibrant Katia Henrikh, a youth worker from Chernivtsi, Ukraine, embarks on a journey that transcends borders and explores the profound question: What is home? “Generation Ukraine” is a testament to the resilience of the young Ukrainian generation, their unwavering bond with their homeland, and their determination to find light in the most challenging of times. This documentary reveals that even in the darkest hour, hope still flickers, and the dawn of a brighter future is on the horizon.

Peter Urban has commentated Eurovision for German audiences for 25 years and as he is stepping down he takes a look back at his memories and the evolution of the contest during that time.

A sentimental observation showing the short-lived friendship between two girls. A dreamy view by the first-person narrator of an undefeatable girl, Vittoria, who remains like a souvenir even after she is gone.

In the busy streets of the Ghanaian capital, Accra, four friends experience the challenges of coming of age. Their lives are defined by uncertain plans for the future, complicated father-son relationships, sexual stereotypes, and fear of letting go of childhood innocence. The basketball court offers a fun escape from everyday life.

The beer duck and memories of a youth in Kaltenmoor.

Banned since 1993 in France and Germany, does the PKK still represent a danger? A dive into the heart of a complex geopolitical issue, where the fight for freedom, manipulation and pressure are intertwined.

Renowned Argentinian cellist Sol Gabetta goes in search of French virtuoso Lise Cristiani who was one of the first women to play the instrument professionally.

Artists forced to leave their country talk about the ambivalence of exile. With Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, Sudanese graphic designer Anwar, and members of the Russian feminist protest group Pussy Riot.

A close-up of the dizzying escalation of nuclear risk since the largest power station on the European continent fell into the hands of Russia at the start of the war.

A semester short film by a student on the subject of "historical short film". It is about a traumatized soldier who takes his own life in a bar.

Football in the stadium: pure emotion and excitement. Thousands united in joy, anger and disappointment. Who gathers there peacefully, and where does passion cross borders?

Being a project of Madımak Massacre Memorial Centre, this documentary is so far the most extensive work on Madımak Massacre. With the interviews of 127 people, archive footage and testimonies, the four-hour long documentary covers the massacre by diving into historical and ideological motives behind it. In this way, it presents a panorama of the oppression against the Alevi community and their growing struggle in recent history of Turkey.

Helmets, swords and historical battles. Once a year, Viking fans gather in Wolin, Poland, for the largest Viking festival in the world. Hundreds of warriors re-enact the life of the Northmen here. For Dennis, the Viking life is not just a hobby, but a way of life. At the weekend he and his wife go to a self-built Viking village near Alfeld. They live here with like-minded people almost as they did a thousand years ago. The festival in Wolin is a highlight of the year for them. But right-wing extremists are increasingly mingling with participants and visitors to the costume spectacle. Swastikas and other right-wing symbols are being openly displayed more and more frequently. Runes and armor have attracted right-wing extremists since the Nazi era. One example is the Viking Museum Village in Oerlinghausen, which was built by the Nazi regime. Museum director Karl Banghard has been observing the infiltration of the Viking scene by right-wing extremists for years.

When her first relationship ends, Yuna's memory brings an image from her early childhood to the surface, but she cannot place it. Looking for the origin, she explores the depths of her subconscious. She stumbles across blank spots again and again until she finally manages to get to the source of the repressed memory.

Using the streets of his Berlin neighbourhood as a backdrop, a filmmaker from Belarus investigates the systematic nature of Russian and Belarusian war crimes in Ukraine and explores his own responsibility for this war.

In his hit "Dussmann", Betterov admits that he doesn't understand the world around him. Yet his lyrics on alienation, the anonymity of big cities and adolescence, prove the contrary. Catchy guitar riffs and shoegaze elements distil the melancholy.

In John B. Benitz’s documentary Behind the Lines, you might end up questioning whether history should just be written by historians. Based on Andrew Carroll’s New York Times best seller Letters of a Nation, Behind the Lines, and War Letters and inspired by a subsequent stage play, Benitz’s film tells the story of Carroll’s life mission to travel the world seeking out war letters. Over the past 25 years, he has preserved more than 200,000 correspondences from troops, veterans and their families, dating from the American Revolution to present day Ukraine. In Behind the Lines, we accompany Carroll on his continuing quest; one of fact finding but also tremendously emotional. This is captured evocatively when letters written by soldiers, some of whom having lost their lives only a day after having written them, are read by various actors such as Laura Dern and Gary Cole. The film is narrated by Annette Bening. – Adam Schartoff

A group of delightful teenage girls who have all fled to Germany find their own creative ways to overcome hidden discrimination in a film about friendship, sisterhood and living your dreams.

Ten years ago, the ‘Hannover Klassik Open Air’ was launched under the motto ‘Opera for everyone’. A success story that has lost none of its charm to this day. This anniversary show presents highlights from past open-air concerts with new international singing stars in Hanover's illuminated Maschpark.

When Jan is sent to a small town in rural Mecklenburg to report on the discovery of a poisonous Brazilian spider, he senses his chance to finally stand up to the editor with a good article. What's lurking in the shadows however is not a wild animal, but Jan's past.

Manuel Liñán is a Spanish flamenco dancer and choreographer who is pushing the boundaries of the artform and challenging gender norms. Born into a modest family in Granada in 1980, Liñán grew up under pressure to fulfil his father's dream of becoming a bullfighter - a path that did not correspond to his true passion. This documentary follows the artist through the creative process and rehearsals of his work “Muerte de Amor” in June 2024.

A covered-up family tragedy and criminal machinations surrounding arms deals are at the center of the 22nd "Zurich Crime". Borchert must tie up the loose ends of a case whose tragic tone hits the unconventional investigator personally.

For the first time, five Antifa activists talk in detail about the background and practices of an unusually professional movement that countered the flourishing neo-Nazi scene in reunified Germany after 1989.

A short film.

A documentary that revolves around the lives of three surf enthusiasts, each facing their struggles with European norms and ideals. Majid, a kitesurfer in Tarifa, battles visa issues to unite his family from Morocco. In Biarritz, Margaux organizes Europe's first LGBTQ-friendly surf festival to challenge gender norms. Rosy, a surfboard shaper in Northern Ireland, navigates post-Brexit turbulence. The film explores the promise of freedom in Europe and the enduring challenges that threaten it.

Hannah expected it to feel different hosting a fugitive in her home. Gratitude, connection, friendship...but no. She takes great efforts to offer Yulia a warm, open-hearted retreat, but for weeks the two women remain strangers to each other. Hannah wants to change that. But for that to be possible, she has to understand that she cannot force affection and trust and that true mercy is not linked to expectations.

This documentary explores Iran's revolutionary movement, sparked by Jina Mahsa Amini's death in 2022, from the German diaspora's perspective. Over a year, Roxana Samadi followed ten individuals, highlighting their efforts and struggles supporting the revolution.

Berlin queer community members mourn the substance abuse-related loss of their friends by sharing memories and rituals. Resembling glow-in-the-dark fungi, they radiate light together as a network of support and care.

We are standing in front of the old theater in Narva. It is still winter and snowing. An old man comes out of one of the theater doors and speaks to us in a deep, warm voice in Russian. We only understand his gestures. We don't know his name, so we call him Vassili, like the great old theater.

The ballet of the National Opera of Ukraine stands for ballet artistry at the highest level. The company has become a cultural ambassador for Ukraine. The ensemble presents this unique, daring performance at the National Opera in Kyiv. The centerpiece of the evening is Wartime Elegy by Alexei Ratmansky, one of the most important choreographers of our time.

In a surreal odyssey, the Self seeks escape.

Bela gets lost in the forest, where she follows a wolf through his transformation into a werewolf. Taxidermy, werewolf horror, Digibeta tapes, non-actor students, untrained animals, low-budget effects and a director who comments on her failure.

Queer people from all over the world have made Berlin what it is today. Many leave their home because they want to, others because they have to. This film follows a few of them. The queer universe of Berlin mirrors the movements of the world and is constantly evolving. In recent decades, a multitude of identities have made themselves heard. Today, gay and lesbian are only two terms among many.

In a world where reality bends and mysteries lurk around every corner, "Hotel Trancesylvania" takes audiences on a pulse-pounding journey like never before. This sci-fi thriller, set to captivate viewers with its enigmatic plot, introduces us to Emily, a woman lost in the labyrinthine corridors of a forgotten hotel.

The film links a personal and family story of migration with the history of the Indian subcontinent. In an exploration of the cities of Karachi and Leipzig, the film reflects on the search for a home, and experiences and memories that shape identity.

She is defined; from birth on. The role she has to play, who she is and what she is made of is not determined by her. If one’s own body and gender are a political issue, it is about time that one’s own voice is heard.

25-year-old Jules wants an abortion. Due to the closure of all the clinics in her area, she is forced to return to her childhood home. Although her parents welcome her with open arms, the 72 hours between the consultation and the procedure are increasingly filled with unspoken questions.

Friends Ella and Melina make a nighttime stop at a gas station.

Dear Diary, I can't sleep. There are so many things in my past I could have done differently. I need to exorcise myself of my former selves.

Four people decide to flee to Europe, each on their own. As they face various challenges, their experiences merge into a common story without getting lost in the mass of reporting.

The largest salt desert in the world – the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. But that doesn’t change the finite nature of our existence. A visual experiment in ten acts.

Janina lives with her oldest daughter Dana in a village, idyllically nestled between mountains and dense forests in southwestern Poland. At the age of 92, Janina recalls her past more vividly than she ever has. The film takes us on a journey into commitment, personal loss, resilience, and the importance of empathy in the face of the darkest moments in history.

Emerging excitement, a dancing body, and the sensual awakening of sexuality turn this experimental animation film by Florian Maubach into the nucleus of a transformation process. A stimulating short film that pushes boundaries but doesn’t solely focus on the pleasure event. It’s a metaphorically charged short film that allows an important look behind the curtain of male sexuality and relationships.

Three generations of women grapple with their family's legacy of the Holocaust, its affiliation with the Nazi regime, and their resistance.

Imani is on the run, but no matter how hard she tries, she cannot escape what is chasing her. The hotel she is staying in is slowly turning into a surreal nightmare and the storm that threatens to destroy everything is getting closer and closer.