German film festival celebrates cinematic diversity in China

The 2026 Festival of German Cinema has opened in Beijing, bringing 12 new films to Chinese audiences that have gained recognition on the international film festival circuit over the past two years.

Presented by German Films and Goethe-Institut China, the festival opened at Broadway Cinematheque Beijing on Nov 6 and will run until Nov 15. It will also tour Nanjing, Jiangsu province, and Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

Philipp Ackermann, Germany's ambassador to China, highlighted the festival's role in celebrating cinema and strengthening cultural ties between Germany and China. This year's selection, he said, reflects contemporary German cinema's vibrant diversity, with stories exploring universal themes that define our time.

Anke Redl, German Films' representative in China, said the program spans genres from fiction and documentaries to musicals. She hopes the event offers Chinese audiences fresh, thought-provoking cinematic experiences.

Friederike Moeschel, director of Goethe-Institut China, recalled the festival's inaugural edition in 2013, saying it had established a tradition over the past 14 years. She also highlighted a special retrospective honoring the late German intellectual Alexander Kluge.

The festival opened with Amrum, a historical drama directed by Fatih Akin. Set in the aftermath of World War II, the film is a lyrical coming-of-age story exploring identity, loss and the awakening of compassion.

The lineup also includes Alexandre Koberidze's Dry Leaf, which follows a father searching for his missing daughter; Christian Petzold's M Miroirs No. 3, about a depressed music student; and I Understand Your Displeasure, which turns its attention to the often-overlooked cleaning sector and the systemic pressures its workers face.

Other highlights include the comedy Oh, This Unspeakable Void, about a 20-year-old's unlikely journey toward maturity; The Miserable Mother, a musical comedy examining the complexities of motherhood; and When Pigs Fly, which explores ethical questions surrounding human-pig relationships through the lens of xenotransplantation.