On May 14th the opening ceremony of the 21st Neisse Film Festival will take place in Zittau's Gerhart-Hauptman Theater. The Focus series this year, "Female Perspectives", is dedicated to the female perspective (not only) on the big screen, presenting films that show the women's point of view of our society and which have been created under the direction of women. The opening film is very fitting in this light; "Elbow" is directed by Aslı Özarslan and based on the book of the same name by Fatma Aydemir. It is an intense portrayal of a young woman who pays a high price to free herself from the projections of society.
On her 18th birthday, Hazal wants to celebrate with her girlfriends in the coolest club in Berlin. To forget her everyday life, the temp job in a bakery, her family's expectations, the many unsuccessful applications. But the bouncer sends them away. Frustrated, they head home. On the way, an invasive come-on in the U-Bahn escalates into a situation with consequences. Hazal flees head-over-heels to Istanbul. In the completely foreign city she has to find her way on her own and figure out her life anew between homelessness, ambitions and personal guilt.
This debut feature film by Aslı Özarslan was enthusiastically received by press, film critics and audience alike. At the Neisse Film Festival opening ceremony, co-author Claudia Schaefer will be present as our guest. Further viewing opportunities at the festival are on May 16th at 10 p.m. at CamilloKino in Görlitz and May 19th at 4 p.m. at Kunstbauerkino in Grosshennersdorf.
Once again in 2024, the Neisse Film Festival will be showing films across three borders, in 20 locations in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic with approximately 90 current feature films, documentaries and short films from the three neighboring countries and throughout eastern Europe. Running until 19 May, the program includes three film competitions as well as a reading, concerts, an exhibition and much more. One highlight of the festival week is the concert with alyona alyona, Ukrainian rapper, on May 18th at Kühlhaus Görlitz. The festival award ceremony will also take place there on May 18th.
The complete festival program can be found after April 15th online at www.neissefilmfestival.net.