As expected, in 2022, the third edition of the GULF GERMAN LANGUAGE FILM FESTIVAL, which attracted regional media attention in the past years, will take place.
The venue for this year's event is the Omani capital of Muscat, where our guests will be able to enjoy the films screened amidst the fascinating Palm Lane Gardens of the InterContinental Hotel.
For the first time, films from the three German-speaking countries of Germany, Austria and Switzerland will be presented to the audience, ranging from children's movies to deep thought-provoking feature films and comedies. In other words, popular productions that will attract the audience’s attention.
The opening night on November 2, 2022 will begin with a small reception and speeches by the ambassadors of the three countries. We look forward to the screening of the first feature film, the 2018 Austrian adorable couple’s therapy comedy “Die Wunderübung” (The Miracle Exercise), whose screenplay is based on the 2014 comedy of the same name by Daniel Glattauer. It was directed by Michael Kreihsl (Risks and Side Effects), who has won multiple international film awards. Peppered with biting dialog wit and amazing twists, in which the therapist is not uninvolved, the film about the desolate, but not hopeless love affair, offers plenty of room for identification.
On the second evening of the GGFF, the Swiss children's film "Schellen-Ursli" (Little Mountain Boy, 2015) and the German romantic comedy with a touch of fantasy "Hello Again - Ein Tag für immer" will be shown.
"Schellen-Ursli" is based on the picture book of the same name by Selina Chönz and Alois Carigiet from 1945. Swiss director Xavier Koller (Journey of Hope) took the story of the brave boy with the black curls and the blue pointed cap, which is familiar to most children in Switzerland, as an opportunity to retell this story in an exciting way. Being teased by his friends, Ursli sets off for the mountains to prove himself, and the ascent is accompanied by ominous dangers.
Another festival highlight is the funny love story "Hello again – A Wedding a Day" by Maggie Peren (Kiss and Run, The Forger). The film is about a young woman who is invited to the wedding of her former best friend. The fact that his chosen bride is her archenemy drives her to try to sabotage the wedding. Due to a time loop she is trapped in, this happens over and over again – until she realizes that much more important things and people matter in her life.
The GULF GERMAN LANGUAGE FILM FESTIVAL is a co-production of the Goethe-Institut and the German Embassy as well as the Austrian and Swiss Embassies in Oman.