Goethe-Cinema: Science fiction and social criticism

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”

Science fiction is rarely just about the future. It is a mirror held up to the present, a space where hopes, fears, dreams, and anxieties take shape in imagined worlds. Through distant planets, artificial intelligence, technological revolutions, and alternative societies, science fiction invites us to reconsider what it means to be human and to question the direction in which our societies are evolving.

How do visions of the future reflect the realities of their time? What can imagined worlds reveal about political systems, social inequalities, environmental crises, or technological change? And when does a fictional future become a warning about the present? 

This film series explores the rich tradition of science fiction and social criticism in German cinema. From dystopian futures and technological utopias to satirical reflections on contemporary society, the selected films use speculative narratives to address pressing social and political questions. They examine the relationship between individuals and systems, freedom and control, progress and responsibility, while asking who benefits from technological advancement and who is left behind.