Kino for Kids 2025

Director: Ngo The Chau | Recommended: All Ages
Comedy, Drama | 98 min | German with English subtitles

Every day, in the back room of a bookshop Carl Kollhoff carefully wraps books in paper to personally deliver to his regular customers in town. Although he avoids contact with other people, he knows his loyal customers’ preferences and takes pride in selecting the perfect story for each of them. One day, curious nine-year-old Schascha follows him on one of his rounds and Carl reluctantly accepts the new companion. But Schascha quickly wins the hearts of Carl's regular customers and turns their lives upside down, while also helping Carl break out of his closed world.

Director: Julia Lemke, Anna Koch | Recommended: All Ages
Documentary | 86 min | German with English subtitles

Eleven-year-old Santino is at home at the circus. As a young member of the Frank circus family, he travels around the country in a caravan with their Arena circus, artists and animals.
Following the family for a whole year, starting with Santino's eleventh birthday, Circusboy goes behind the curtain to chronicle the lives of these modern nomads, capturing Santino’s experience growing up among an extended family and animals; a life without a safety net.
Written and directed by Julia Lemke and Anna Koch, this is a magical documentary with animated sequences, about the power of storytelling, belonging and community.

*Not showing in Victoria

Director: Mike Marzuk | Recommended: Junior 6+
Adventure, Comedy | 100 mins | German with English subtitles

The Martini sisters Livi, Tessa, Malea and Kenny have very little in common. There are always differences of opinion and ambition. One day, when their parents are out of the house, Paul the dancing penguin appears on their doorstep, and upon learning that he is in danger the sisters must embark on a wild adventure to save him from the cunning magician duo, Mary & Marc, and return him to his family at the zoo. The only way to succeed is for the chaos sisters to put their differences aside and work together!

 

Director: Soleen Yusef | Recommended: Middle 10+
Drama | 119 min | German, Kurdish with English subtitles

Eleven-year-old Mona and her family have fled Syria and ended up in Berlin. Her new public school is chaotic, the teachers are frazzled, and the students are frustrated. Mona can barely speak German and struggles to find her place in her new life.
When Mona's special talent in football is recognised by one of the teachers, she lands a spot on the girls’ football team. With a tournament approaching, the girls soon realise that if they want a chance to win, they will need to put differences aside, stick together and work as a team.
Winner of the 2024 German Film Award for Best Children’s Film, Winners is a charming and uplifting coming-of-age story about the importance of resilience, teamwork, friendship, and belonging.

Director: Andres Veiel | Recommended: M Mature Themes (15+)
Documentary | 115 min | German, English, French with English subtitles

Considered one of the most controversial women of the 20th century as an artist and a Nazi propagandist, Riefenstahl’s films Triumph of the Will and Olympia stand for perfectly staged body worship and the celebration of the superior and victorious, while simultaneously projecting contempt for the imperfect and weak. During her long life after the fall of Nazism, she remained unapologetic, controlling and shaping her legacy, determined to uphold her ideals.
Using materials from unprecedented access to Riefenstahl's private estate, including films, photos, recordings and letters, Veiel uncovers her life and artistic creations, and questions how Riefenstahl could become the Reich's preeminent filmmaker, yet continue to deny any closer ties to Hitler and Goebbels.

Disclaimer:
We will not create additional German language teaching materials for the documentary "Riefenstahl" as engaging with this topic and film requires advanced language skills. We recommend viewing the film with upper secondary students. The accompanying materials from the Institut für Kino und Filmkultur provide a suitable foundation for this: Riefenstahl