A scene from the film For No Eyes Only, one of eight films that will be screened at the German Film Festival. (Photo courtesy of the Goethe Institute)The German Film Festival promises to thrill audiences with a versatile programme in four large cities in the country.
A selection of the newest and most popular films from Germany will be shown in Hanoi, Da Nang, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City. In its sixth year, the festival will showcase the remarkable dynamism and creativity of the German film industry, with the genres of the films ranging from thriller to drama and comedy.
There will be more than 30 film screenings in German language, with Vietnamese and English subtitles or voice-overs.
The films have been particularly successful in cinemas around the world as well as at the Berlin Film Festival and other festivals.
The German films of 2015 capture historical as well as current topics as they deal with the power of digital media and with traditions and cultural distinctions.
This year's German Film Festival in Vietnam offers the audience For No Eyes Only, which received various awards at international film festivals.
Due to a hockey accident, computer nerd Sam is forced to stay home with a broken leg. Just when he is about to die of boredom, he hits upon a hacking software that enables him access external webcams. The shy teenager becomes a voyeur and discovers intimate secrets of his classmates.
Young director, screenwriter and actor Tali Barde will present the film and interact with the audience in Hanoi and HCM City.
"I've never been to Vietnam or any other part of Asia before. That's why I'm greatly excited and looking forward to the journey," he said.
"I've heard many positive things about the country, especially from my older brother who has been to Vietnam. So I think I'm expecting a totally different culture, probably a little louder, more colourful and cordial than what I'm used to in Germany. Apart from that, I will just come with an open mind."
Two of this year's films tell stories of little boys who all of a sudden are on their own. Jack is a story of a 10-year-old who runs away with his brother and embarks on a dangerous and disturbing journey across Berlin.
In Run Boy, Run, Oscar-winning director Pepe Danquart tells the true story of an eight-year-old refugee, who escapes from a Warsaw ghetto and manages to be one step ahead of his pursuers for three years because of his courage and an incredible instinct for survival.
Fantasy fans shouldn't miss Vampire Sisters as it follows Silvania and Dakaria from Transylvania to a small town in Germany, where they have to adjust to the everyday life of humans and hide their vampire identity, even more so as it turns out their neighbour is a vampire hunter.
The festival will be held from September 6 to 13 in Hanoi, from September 10 to 14 in Hue, from September 12 to 18 in HCM City, and from September 11 to 20 in Da Nang.
Free tickets can be collected at the cinemas and the Hanoi Goethe Institute, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, from September 1.
Information about all the films and the schedule can be found on the website www.goethe.de/german-filmfestival-vietnam.-VNA
