Curatorial Text
KinoFest 2025

KinoFest 2025 © Goethe-Institut

Family, Belonging, and the Power of Storytelling in German Cinema

Kinofest, the German Film Festival in Manila is delighted to present a selection of films that examine memory, reimagining, and the confrontation of perspectives in selected films with diverse genres and stories that puts a spotlight on themes of family, belonging, and care in contemporary German cinema.

Memory is central to Köln 75, which recalls the famous Keith Jarrett concert of 1975, and From Hilde, with Love, which uses wartime letters to connect personal history with collective memory.

Reimagining is highlighted in the films for young audiences. Woodwalkers tells the story of children who can transform into animals to defend their forest, while Giants of La Mancha mixes folklore and animation. Both films show how imagination helps explore identity and new forms of family.

The confrontation of the truth is addressed directly in Riefenstahl, which examines the career of a filmmaker tied to the Nazi regime, and Another German Tank Story, which uses satire and comedy to reflect on the complexity of German history.

Personal stories of care and struggle also appear in the program. Venafollows a mother dealing with addiction, while The Light shows how migration and domestic work affect family life and relationships within the home.

Together, these films connect past and present, fact and fiction, and personal and collective stories. The Philippine program of Kinofest 2025 shows how cinema can question history, inspire imagination, and reflect on the meaning of family, belonging, and care today.

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