Muscat – The Embassies of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria in Muscat and the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region have announced the third edition of the German Language Film Festival which will take place at the Palm Garden of Intercontinental Hotel in Muscat.
The festival will run on November 2-3, showcasing three films.
The opening night will kick off with the screening of ‘Die Wunderübung’ (The Miracle Exercise) by Michael Kreihsl.
This Austrian comedy movie is about the couples therapy session of historian Joana and aeronautical engineer Valentin who have been married for many years but whose relationship has seemingly come to an end.
In an attempt to save their marriage, they agree to a trial therapy session. At first, the situation seems to escalate, as the old points of argument boil up again. But then, the therapist receives a phone call that changes everything.
On the second day, Thursday 3, the evening opens with the Swiss production ‘Little Mountain Boy’ (Schellen Ursli) by Xavier Koller. Based on a well-known children’s book, this adventurous kids movie tells the story of Ursli, who has been assigned the smallest bell for the “Chalandamarz”, the festival when the village boys drive away winter with a loud bell ringing.
Angered by being ridiculed as “Schellen-Ursli” (Ursli with the small bell), he decides to dare the impossible, something that not even an adult would dare to do: In the middle of winter, in snow and ice, night and fog, he wants to fetch the big cowbell from the alpine farm hut. The festival concludes on the same evening with the German rom-com ‘Hello Again – A Wedding a day’ by Maggie Peren. Zazie lives with her two closest friends in a shared flat where everyone has their issues with relationships. When she receives the invitation to the wedding of her former best friend Philipp and her archrival Franziska, she wants to save her old friend from making the mistake of a lifetime, but her attempt to sabotage the wedding fails miserably.
Due to a time loop, this happens again and again, until at some point she realizes that it is not about Philipp at all. Commenting on the program, the director of the Goethe-Institut Muscat, Salman Kouhi stated “The Goethe-Institut is truly delighted to present this selection of excellent German language films and different genres in the Sultanate. We are very happy to welcome the audience in person again and to bring people together who love good cinema.”
German Ambassador Thomas Schneider commented, “It gives me great pleasure to invite once again all cinema enthusiasts to the third round of this wonderful film festival held here in the Sultanate. We are very excited to share amazing original productions in the German language with such a wide audience. This year, a fine selection of Austrian, German, and Swiss movies illustrate the diversity of the German language. We are looking forward to bringing people together for an amazing live cinema experience in the outdoors.”
