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DFF — Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum
Kinematographische Erbe-Pflege am Museumsufer.
Schaumainkai 41, 60596 Frankfurt am Main
KURZFILMPROGRAMM: FILME VON WILHELM ORLOPP
Regie: Wilhelm Orlop | 83 Min. VERdich (BRD 1982-1985. Wilhelm Orlopp. 54 Min. 16mm) ¿WHAT’S YOUR NAME! (BRD 1985-1990. Wilhelm Orlopp. 29 Min. 16mm) Zu Gast: Wilhelm Orlopp Filmreihe: exf f. – tage des experimentellen films frankfurt In Kooperation mit exf f. widmet sich das Kino des DFF dem Schaffen des Künstlers und Filmemachers Wilhelm Orlopp, der an der Städelschule unter Peter Kubelka studiert hat. In seinem Film VERdich arbeitet Orlopp mit der Wiederholung einzelner Elemente in Ton und Bild. “Durch ein geradezu beschwörendes Immer-wieder anführen der einzelnen Sequenzen, im Beharren auf ihrer Dauer, ihrer zeitlichen Ausdehnung, entsteht eine intensivierte und monumentale Erfahrung der Dinge: eine Abkehr von linearer Zeitauffassung hin zu einer der kreisenden Bewegung, der…
16mm
Papa Buka
Romila, Anand and guide Papa Buka journey through Papua New Guinea's remote villages, documenting WWII veterans' vivid memories of fighting against Japan, facing unexpected challenges along their quest.
- Drama
IMDb 5.5 Der Koch
Maravan, aged 24, is a Tamil asylum seeker in Switzerland, working as casual help in a highly rated, gourmet restaurant in Zurich. It is also well below his own standards, because he is a gifted and highly passionate cook. In Sri Lanka his grandmother initiated him in the culinary arts, not least in the secrets of aphrodisiacal cuisine. When Maravan loses his job his colleague Andrea persuades him into a deal of the special kind: a joint catering venture for love menus.
- Romance
- Drama
Forever 16
Charlotte, Helena, and Oskar haven't really been in touch since their experimental filmmaking group disbanded. A shared vacation aims to reunite the bitterly estranged trio, but envy and jealousy soon flare up again. Things get really complicated when Rudolph joins the group and they decide to make a film about a female serial killer.
- Drama
TMDB 64IMDb 6.7 Fear
Irene Wagner, the wife of the prominent German scientist Professor Albert Wagner, had been having an affair with Erich Baumann. She does not disclose this to her husband, hoping to preserve his innocence and their "perfect marriage". This fills her with anxiety and guilt. However, Johanna Schultze, Erich's jealous ex-girlfriend, learns about the affair and begins to blackmail Irene, turning Irene's psychological torture into a harsh reality.
- Drama
TMDB 67IMDb 6.9 Wrong Move
Six days in the life of Wilhelm: a detached man without qualities. He wants to write, so his mother gives him a ticket to Bonn, telling him to live. On the train he meets an older man, an athlete in the 1936 Olympics, and his mute teen companion, Mignon. She's an acrobat in market squares for spare change.
- Drama
I Accidentally Wrote a Book
Nina loves to make up stories, she wants to become a writer. Though she has her creative talent from her filmmaker father, there’s just one problem: Her clumsy magician brother Junior is bored of her stories. And since her mother died early, it’s difficult for Nina when a new love comes into her dad’s life. With the guidance of a bohemian writer next door, Nina uses writing to process the loss of her mother and open her heart to a new family member and first love. And suddenly, Nina realizes, her life is becoming a novel!
- Family
Summer in the City
German writer Uwe Johnson lived for several years in the 1960s on Manhattan’s Upper Westside where he got to know his neighborhood very well, observing the goings-on in the streets, cafeterias, and parks. In 1968 German Television agreed to co-produce a film for broadcast featuring interviews with various neighborhood characters.
- Documentary
- TV Movie
DCP
TMDB 68RT 76IMDb 7.0 Nixon
A look at President Richard M. Nixon—a man carrying the fate of the world on his shoulders while battling the self-destructive demands from within—spanning his troubled boyhood in California to the shocking Watergate scandal that would end his Presidency.
- Drama
- History
BODYGUARD BEI RAFFAEL
65 Min. Deutschland 2000. R: Pavel Schnabel. 60 Min. DCP Vorfilm: HOMMAGE À AUGUST SANDER (BRD 1977. 22 Min) Mit Gespräch zum Thema Kamera im Dokumentarfilm mit Pavel Schnabel und Malte Hagener Filmreihe: Pavel Schnabel Alle Museumsbesucher*innen kennen sie: die Männer und Frauen, die aufmerksam, aber möglichst unauffällig die Schätze vor den Besucher*innen bewachen müssen. Schnabel porträtiert einige der Museumswächter*innen in Gemäldegalerien in München, Dresden und Köln. Bei viel Betrieb ist besonders viel Aufmerksamkeit gefragt; wenn nichts los ist, ist die Arbeit auch ein Kampf gegen die Langeweile. Als Vorfilm läuft Schnabels klassische Hommage an den Fotografen August Sander, in welcher er Fotografien von Bauern aus den 1920er Jahren stilecht mit Menschen aus den 1970ern nachstellt.
DCP
Jetzt, nach so viel’ Jahren
Documentary about a small German village and its inhabitants four decades after the last remaining jewish inhabitants were chased away or put into concentration camps. Interviews with the people of the village about the past as well as with the exiled jewish community, now living in New York.
- Documentary
DCP
I Accidentally Wrote a Book
Nina loves to make up stories, she wants to become a writer. Though she has her creative talent from her filmmaker father, there’s just one problem: Her clumsy magician brother Junior is bored of her stories. And since her mother died early, it’s difficult for Nina when a new love comes into her dad’s life. With the guidance of a bohemian writer next door, Nina uses writing to process the loss of her mother and open her heart to a new family member and first love. And suddenly, Nina realizes, her life is becoming a novel!
- Family
Home is not a Place
Home Is Not a Place follows a filmmaker’s search into her own family history after learning that her grandmother was kidnapped and forced into marriage. Through conversations with three women from her village, spanning three generations, the film examines the lasting effects of bride kidnapping in Nepal and how its influence continues to shape ideas of consent, marriage, and womanhood. Told through observation and personal testimony, the film looks at how women live with, respond to, and resist practices that have shaped their lives.
- Documentary
OmUDCP
IMDb 7.7 Harbour of Hope
In 1945 Irene, Ewa and Joe were among the nearly 30,000 survivors rescued from German concentration camps to the peaceful harbour town Malmö, Sweden. Here they started life again.
- Documentary
DCP
Der böhmische Knoten
Regie: Pavel Schnabel | 98 Min. Deutschland 1994. R: Pavel Schnabel. 98 Min. 16mm. OmeU Original Version with English subtitles Zu Gast: Pavel Schnabel Filmreihe: Pavel Schnabel Der wohl brisanteste Streitpunkt in den Beziehungen zwischen (West-)Deutschland und der Tschechoslowakei waren jahrzehntelang das Sudetenland und die Sudetendeutschen, deren Verhalten in den 1930er Jahren und im Krieg und ihre Vertreibung nach dem Krieg. Ganz im Gegensatz zur hochgradigen Emotionalität, mit der diese Frage oft verknüpft war, nähert sich Pavel Schnabel ihr besonnen und differenziert: Er befragt Menschen auf beiden Seiten mit sehr unterschiedlichen Erfahrungen und fächert auf diese Weise nuanciert Probleme von Zugehörigkeit, Ausgrenzung und Schuld auf.
- Documentary
OmeU16mm
Einmal Bonn und zurück
Regie: Pavel Schnabel, Harald Lüders | 45 Min. BRD 1982. R: Pavel Schnabel, Harald Lüders. 45 Min. 16mm Vorfilme: MITTEN IN DEUTSCHLAND (BRD 1978. 10 Min) und GELD ALLEIN MACHT... (BRD 1982. 17 Min) Zu Gast: Pavel Schnabel Filmreihe: Pavel Schnabel EINMAL BONN UND ZURÜCK zeichnet mit dokumentarischen Mitteln die politische Lage der BRD zur Zeit der Kanzlerschaft Helmut Schmidts. In Form eines Kurzspielfilms gibt MITTEN IN DEUTSCHLAND ein Stimmungsbild über die Zeit des „Deutschen Herbstes“. GELD ALLEIN MACHT … ist ebenfalls ein Kurzspielfilm, und zwar über die Macht des Geldes über den einzelnen.
- Documentary
16mm
TMDB 64IMDb 6.7 Fear
Irene Wagner, the wife of the prominent German scientist Professor Albert Wagner, had been having an affair with Erich Baumann. She does not disclose this to her husband, hoping to preserve his innocence and their "perfect marriage". This fills her with anxiety and guilt. However, Johanna Schultze, Erich's jealous ex-girlfriend, learns about the affair and begins to blackmail Irene, turning Irene's psychological torture into a harsh reality.
- Drama
FRÜHER GLÜCKLICH, HEUTE FROH
Regie: Pavel Schnabel | 90 Min. Deutschland 1997. R: Pavel Schnabel. 90 Min. 16mm Mit Gespräch zum Thema Schnitt im Dokumentarfilm mit Eva Voosen (Schnitt) und Melanie Gärtner Filmreihe: Pavel Schnabel In den 1970er Jahren gab es eine ganze Reihe von Menschen, die als Aussteiger*innen ihr bisheriges Leben hinter sich ließen und zum Beispiel Landkommunen gründeten. Zwei Jahrzehnte später hat Pavel Schnabel einige von ihnen aufgesucht und befragt, ob sich ihre Träume und Wünsche von einem alternativen Leben erfüllt haben.
16mm
TMDB 66 The Tasters
In autumn 1943, in Gross-Partsch, 26-year-old Rosa, who had come from Berlin to stay with the parents of her husband Gregor, who was fighting on the Russian front, was taken by the SS to a mysterious place. Forced to taste a dish, she joins the group of tasters responsible for checking that the food destined for Hitler is not poisoned.
- Drama
- History
TMDB 77RT 89IMDb 7.5 The Swallows of Kabul
Summer 1998—Kabul under Taliban rule. Zunaira and Mohsen are young and in love. Despite the daily violence and misery, they hope for a better future. One day, a foolish gesture causes life to take an irrevocable turn.
- Animation
- Drama
RT 100 Big Girls Don't Cry
Over one transformative summer in rural New Zealand in 2006, 14-year-old Sid discovers desire, identity, and the internet as she imitates the people she longs to be loved by.
- Drama
OmU
Almost Forever
From the carefree summers of childhood to the turbulent teenage years. Five formative years in a young group of friends in Stockholm, where their bond is put to the test as they navigate their way into adulthood.
- Documentary
OmeU
IMDb 7.2 The Altar Boys
A group of teenage altar boys, frustrated by the indifferent attitude of adults and the Church towards social injustices, decides to implement their own unconventional plan for moral renewal of their neighbourhood. Armed with youthful rebellion and their personal interpretation of the Bible, they set up a wiretap… in the confessional.
- Drama
- Comedy
OmeU
TMDB 76RT 94IMDb 7.8 System Crasher
Wherever 9-year-old Benni ends up, she is expelled. She has become what child protection services call a “system crasher.” But she is not looking to change her ways, and has one goal: go back home to her mother. When anger management trainer Micha is hired to help, suddenly there is hope.
- Drama
My Absurd Journey of True Loves First Kiss and How I Became Mortal
An immortal man searches for true love.
- Comedy
- Romance
OmeU
LUCAS KURZFILMPROGRAMM 3
70 Min. LITTLE FURY Fúrie. Tschechien 2026. R: Ivana Vogrinc Vidali. Als Josefinas Crush Mikey sie vor der ganzen Klasse übergriffig behandelt, wird aus Verliebtheit Scham und aus Scham Wut. Gemeinsam mit ihrer Clique beschließt sie, ihr Schicksal selbst in die Hand zu nehmen und sich an Mikey zu rächen. (AnG) DIE SANDALE MEINER SCHWESTER My Sister's Sandal. Deutschland 2026. R: Semih Korhan Güner. Schauplatz Freibad. Während es auf der Wiese plärrt, herrscht unter der Wasseroberfläche Stille. Hier offenbart sich in einem Labyrinth aus Körpern die Vielfalt der Gesellschaft: ob jung, alt, dick oder dünn – alle suchen Abkühlung. (SiS) FLOWERS WEAR NO SHOES I fiori non hanno le scarpe. Italien 2025. R: Matteo Vicentini Orgnani. Im italienischen Hinterland ist die Arbeit auf dem Bauernhof…
LUCAS KURZFILMPROGRAMM 2
74 Min. Frankreich/Niederlande/Schweden/Taiwan 2025–26. R+DB: div. 59 Min. OF mit dt. Live-Einsprache. Empfohlen ab 10. Original version with German live voice-over Filmreihe: 49. LUCAS-Filmfestival DUNGEONS & SPECTRUMS Niederlande 2025. R: Wout Malestein. Ross hat Autismus. In Rollenspielen findet er Halt und Zugang zu anderen Kindern, denn darin kann er die Welt nach eigenen Regeln gestalten und mit Fantasie ausfüllen. Stück für Stück lernt er, Kontrolle abzugeben und Hindernisse gemeinsam zu bewältigen. (SiS) TANGLED Taiwan 2026. R: Lily Ling. Fußballerin Xi ist verliebt in ihren Mitspieler Yu. Als seine Freunde über ihre Locken spotten, plant sie, ihr Äußeres zu ändern. Online findet sie ein Wundermittel, das die Lösung all ihrer Probleme verspricht. Doch ist das die Veränderung, die…
LUCAS KURZFILMPROGRAMM 5
74 Min. Deutschland/Kroatien/Mexiko/Norwegen/ Peru/USA 2025–26. R+DB: div. 71 Min. OmeU. Empfohlen ab 15. Original version with English subtitles Filmreihe: 49. LUCAS-Filmfestival BEASTS OF DEATH Bestias de la Muerte. USA/Peru/Mexiko 2026. R: Sandra Powers. Um ihre Mutter aus dem Reich der Toten zu retten, riskiert Claudia bei einem okkulten Ritual ihre Seele. Im Kampf gegen die eigenen Dämonen stellt sie sich der Angst und wird zur Kriegerin der Nacht. Schaurig-schöner Comic Stil trifft auf Musikvideo. (SiS) SANDY FANNIES Sand I Tissen. Norwegen 2026. R: Ingrid Runde Saxegaard. Aurora verbringt den Tag mit ihrer Mutter nackt an einem einsamen Strand. Zwischen Ehrlichkeit und Peinlichkeit eröffnet die Auszeit intime Gespräche über Liebe und Sex, erste Male und tiefe Begehren. Doch dann…
OmeU
TMDB 74RT 98IMDb 7.6 Joyland
As a patriarchal family yearns for the birth of a son to continue their family line, their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theatre and falls for its transgender starlet.
- Romance
- Drama
The Girls From Above
Héloïse has nowhere to go. She meets Mallorie, who offers to let her stay in the flat she shares with two other young women. Héloïse finds a new home and a new family there. But their past wounds threaten the fragile balance between these women who appear so strong on the surface.
- Drama
OmeU
When Mumbo Jumbo Grew Giant
When the happy little hippo, Mumbo Jumbo, accidentally turns giant his life changes for the worse - seemingly forever. Now Mumbo is forced out on a challenging journey in order to encounter an unpredictable witch. Luckily Mumbo's best friends join him. It’s still an insurmountable task, but at least the friends are facing it together. It is not easy being a small hippo, nor a giant one, and when the only way back to normal depends on the cooperation of a frank and mischievous witch, anyone can imagine that it requires a true effort. Hopefully Mumbo Jumbo will develop a strong belief in himself during the adventure. Otherwise, it will definitely be an impossible mission.
- Animation
- Adventure
- Family
DF
IMDb 2.6 The Minis
A talented team of basketball players made up of little people enters a tournament to help a teammate's son go to college.
- Comedy
- Family
IMDb 7.7 Julián
Wide-eyed Julián is about to spend the summer with a grandmother he barely knows. He is amazed to discover her treasure-trove apartment, his own Caribbean heritage and the lively Brooklyn community he is surrounded by. But most surprising of all, Julián discovers that he is, in fact, a mermaid!
- Animation
- Family
- Fantasy
OmeU
Brave Cat
Teenage forest cat Kona decides to face her fears and search for her missing mother, who was kidnapped by the circus long ago. She is joined on her journey by Colin, an abandoned guard dog pup, and Bernard, a runaway old circus bear, who are also searching for their own families.
- Animation
- Adventure
RT 100 Big Girls Don't Cry
Over one transformative summer in rural New Zealand in 2006, 14-year-old Sid discovers desire, identity, and the internet as she imitates the people she longs to be loved by.
- Drama
OmU
IMDb 4.7 Congo Boy
Bangui, Central African Republic. 17 year-old Robert dreams of a career in music, but civil war is tearing the country apart. When both his parents are thrown into prison, he is left to look after his four younger siblings on his own, juggling daily life, odd jobs, school exams and concert stages, determined to follow his dream.
- Drama
- Music
OmeU
To Fetch A Pail Of Water
This comedy-drama children’s film follows the summer adventures of an oddball trio as they chase their dreams and unite to build a swimming pool in a water-strapped slum.
- Comedy
- Drama
OmeU
Koschka
Young Jan looks after a stray cat, but encounters one or two challenges along the way, in this charming, elementary tale.
- Family
- Drama
LUCAS KURZFILMPROGRAMM 4
80 Min. Deutschland/Iran/Norwegen/USA/Vietnam 2025–26. R+DB: div. 65 Min. OmeU / OmeU mit dt. Live-Einsprache. Empfohlen ab 13. Original version with English subtitles / original version with English subtitles and German live voice-over Filmreihe: 49. LUCAS-Filmfestival ROOFTOP LEMPICKA Lempicka Trên Mái Nhà. Vietnam/USA 2025. R: Nguyen Luong Hang. Thi freundet sich mit Ngoc an, einer Clubkellnerin, die bei ihrer Familie zur Untermiete wohnt. Zwischen ihr, ihrer Mutter und einem Kunstband der Malerin Tamara de Lempicka lernt Thi unterschiedliche Bilder von Weiblichkeit kennen. (EW) TROPHÄE Trophy. Deutschland 2026. R: Benjamin Hujawa. Der Familienausflug zum Badestrand entwickelt sich für den 14-jährigen Max zur Konfrontation mit den archaischen Rollenbildern seines Vaters. Wird er sich…
OmeU
To Fetch A Pail Of Water
This comedy-drama children’s film follows the summer adventures of an oddball trio as they chase their dreams and unite to build a swimming pool in a water-strapped slum.
- Comedy
- Drama
OmeU
Gnosis Iluminada
The former 17th-century convent of Santa Mònica in Barcelona, today the Centre d’Art Santa Mònica, housed a library of which more than 500 volumes are currently preserved at the University of Barcelona. The study of a selection of these books served as the beginning for this artistic project.
- Documentary
OmeU
Hijra
This film sheds light on the fascinating and often neglected topic of the Hijra community in India, which has been a part of the subcontinent for over 4,000 years. Despite being revered and celebrated in religious and spiritual ceremonies, this community continues to face abuse, discrimination, and violence. Our film seeks to explore the dimension of evil that resides within our minds and how it reflects onto the perceptions of the Hijra community. For us, this film is very special, as it is a product of our personal experiences and the desire to showcase the struggle and bliss of the third gender. We aim to tell a story that is engaging, sensitive, and respectful. Our team is excited to bring this project to life, and we hope that it will contribute to a greater understanding and appreciation of the Hijra community.
OmeU
Corpus Delicti
In the near future, the “method” controls the health and freedom of society. The life of neuroscientist Mia Holl, who is loyal to the system, changes abruptly when her brother Moritz Holl is wrongly accused of murder and imprisoned. In the fight for truth and justice, Mia begins to question the system and becomes the hunted herself.
- Drama
- Science Fiction
When Mumbo Jumbo Grew Giant
When the happy little hippo, Mumbo Jumbo, accidentally turns giant his life changes for the worse - seemingly forever. Now Mumbo is forced out on a challenging journey in order to encounter an unpredictable witch. Luckily Mumbo's best friends join him. It’s still an insurmountable task, but at least the friends are facing it together. It is not easy being a small hippo, nor a giant one, and when the only way back to normal depends on the cooperation of a frank and mischievous witch, anyone can imagine that it requires a true effort. Hopefully Mumbo Jumbo will develop a strong belief in himself during the adventure. Otherwise, it will definitely be an impossible mission.
- Animation
- Adventure
- Family
DF
Iron Boy
In rural France, Christophe (10) tries to live up to his rigid and distant father on the family farm. But the young boy starts to lean over and collapse without warning — on the tractor, at school, at dinner... A doctor finds the solution: Christophe must wear an iron corset to keep himself upright. Forced to reinvent his life away from the farm, Christophe discovers a new passion for music, meets a new friend, and follows her into his first mischief. But will any of this really fix what is out of balance?
- Animation
OmU
A Girl Unknown
A Chinese girl is passed between three families from the age of 6 to 18, receiving each time a new name and identity. As she searches for belonging and the possibility of love, she has to navigate between the weight of her past and the uncertainty of her future, until she finds her own way.
- Drama
OmeU
My Life in Versailles – The Movie
After her parents’ passing, eight-year-old Violet goes to live with her uncle, Regis, a gruff maintenance worker at the Palace of Versailles. Despite a rocky start, Violet and Regis learn to live and face life’s challenges together. Through complex friendships, first loves and a Christmas trip to Violet’s grandparents, they slowly create a new life rich in discoveries and tender moments in the heart of Versailles.
- Animation
- Family
IMDb 2.6 The Minis
A talented team of basketball players made up of little people enters a tournament to help a teammate's son go to college.
- Comedy
- Family
Kurzfilmprogramm 1
47 Min. Österreich/Niederlande/Norwegen/Taiwan 2025–26. R+DB: div. 47 Min. OmeU / OmeU mit dt. Live-Einsprache. Empfohlen ab 7. Original version / Original version with German live voice-over Filmreihe: 49. LUCAS-Filmfestival THE LITTLE HOTEL DETECTIVE De kleine Hoteldetective, Niederlande 2025. R: Julia van Braak. Billie ist gelangweilt: Die Ferien haben begonnen und ihre Mutter ist mit dem Betrieb des Familienhotels beschäftigt, dem auch noch eine Inspektion bevorsteht. Doch vielleicht kann Billie helfen, indem sie den als Gast getarnten Inspektor entlarvt? (TJ) AZUKI Österreich 2026. R: Astrid Rothaug. Azuki streunert durch Gassen, durchwühlt Müllberge und schläft im Wald. Als der Straßenhund im Tierheim landet, wächst die Hoffnung auf menschliche Rettung. Weiche Aquarellbilder und ein…
OmeU
RT 63 Run Amok
A teenage girl decides to stage a musical reenactment of a tragedy that took place at her high school 10 years ago.
- Comedy
- Drama
OmeU
HELDIN D, ab 6
Regie: Petra Volpe | Darsteller: Leonie Benesch, Sonja Riesen | 92 Min. | Drama Deutschland/Schweiz 2025. R: Petra Volpe. D: Leonie Benesch, Sonja Riesen, Alireza Bayram. 92 Min. DCP Filmreihe: Treffpunkt Kino 65plus Leonie Benesch spielt eine engagierte Pflegefachkraft auf der chirurgischen Station eines Schweizer Krankenhauses. Sie macht ihren Job mit Leidenschaft, doch der chronische Personalmangel macht ihr zunehmend zu schaffen. Während einer besonders stressigen Nachtschicht kommt sie an ihre Grenzen und rastet aus. HELDIN wurde von der Jury der Evangelischen Filmarbeit als „Film des Jahres“ 2025 prämiert. In Kooperation mit dem Europäischen Festival der Generationen.
DCP
ABSCHIED VON GESTERN D, keine Angabe
Regie: Alexander Kluge | 88 Min. BRD 1966. R: Alexander Kluge. D: Alexandra Kluge, Hans Korte, Edith Kuntze-Peloggio. 88 Min. Filmreihe: Treffpunkt Kino 65plus Der Film gilt als stilbildender Klassiker des Neuen Deutschen Films und erzählt in kaleidoskopartig erzählten Episoden von der Jüdin Anita G., die nach der Flucht aus der DDR versucht, in der Bundesrepublik Fuß zu fassen. Sie wird Krankenschwester, begeht aber einen Diebstahl, wonach ihr Leben ihr nach und nach entgleitet.