June's Cultural Highlights
Ukrainian Art, LGBTQ+ Films, and a Tumultuous Vacation in 'Fucking Bornholm'.
Dear all,
Welcome to June, the first official month of summer! Culture-wise the upcoming month has a lot to offer for us. Although I must say, "“a lot” is nearly an understatement! It has incredibly much to offer, it might even seem overwhelming. But you need not worry, that is what I am here for! To guide you passionately through the big city jungle of offerings and events. So, let’s dive right in!
🎨 Ukraine Ausstellung Kolyska (UCC Berlin) I 10.06.-14.07.2023
Let us start with visual art this time: On 9th of June an exhibition will be opened, that you can visit until mid of July. The exhibition holds the name “Kolyska” - translation not only to swing, but also home and cradle. It’s featuring four Ukrainian artists, who continue to make art here in Berlin after forcibly leaving their homes: Vicki Berg, Sofia
Golubeva, Aglaia Nogina, and Anastasia Pasichnyk. In Kurt Mühlenhaupt Museum you can visit the exhibitor featuring paintings, graphics, installations and carpet art, as well as Simon Koy’s photography from Ukraine before the full-scale invasion.
The Vernissage will take place 9th of June, 19:00.
🎞 FILM & CINEMA
As far as art goes, that’s it from my side for this month. From here it’s gonna be film + screening recommendations all the way! If you’re not a fan, maybe give it a try this month or come back next time! But trust me, you’ll want to stay for what comes:
📽 World Cinema Documentaries - Maxim Gorki Theatre
Courage (10.06.2023, 19:00)
Courage - one of my favorite documentaries ever. Following three actors from Belarus Free Theatre, it depicts the widespread demonstrations that broke out in Belarus in 2020 after President Alexander Lukashenko's faked reelection. The film offers a personal and unfiltered portrait of the brave people who took to the streets, risking their safety and freedom to demand political change and uphold their democratic rights. It does this through firsthand accounts and captivating footage. In doing so, the film provides a fascinating examination of the Belarusian people's resilience, determination, and sense of community in their fight for liberty and justice. Don’t miss out on the chance to see the documentary on 10th of June in Maxim Gorki Theatre. After the screening you can meet the director and the activists filmed in the documentary.
📽 Jewish Filmfestival Berlin I 13.-18.06.2023
The Jewish Film Festival Berlin Brandenburg, taking place in June, showcases a diverse selection of thought-provoking films that explore Jewish identity, culture, and history, fostering dialogue and understanding. I’d like to draw your attention to three feature films from the main competition:
Inspired by the life of Leopold Tyrmand and adapting his autobiographical novel, the film follows Filip, a Warsaw Jew who escapes the ghetto and poses as a Frenchman while working as a forced laborer in a hotel in Frankfurt am Main. His desire to survive and keep his true identity hidden is threatened when he encounters an old Polish friend, putting his cover at risk and exposing him to the dangers of the Gestapo.
Set in socialist Poland in 1968, this film tells a tragic Romeo and Juliet story amidst student revolts and state anti-Semitism. As a smear campaign, citizen militia, and secret service intrigue unfold, the young love between Janek and Hania is challenged, revealing the destructive power of state authority and the forced emigration of Jewish Shoah survivors from their Polish homeland.
Director Asaf Saban presents an emotionally charged journey as three Israeli teenagers embark on a class trip to extermination camps in Poland, seeking to connect with their history. Amidst the weight of history and their own personal dramas, the film explores the contradictions and challenges of these compulsory school trips while capturing the transformative impact of the journey on the teenager’s transition to adulthood.
Information on the whole program, venues and tickets you can find on JFFB homepage.
📽 XPOSED Queer Filmfestival Berlin I 15.-18.06.2023
The XPOSED Film Festival is an annual celebration of LGBTQ+ cinema, showcasing a diverse array of compelling and thought-provoking films from around the world. With a focus on promoting queer voices and stories, this festival offers a platform for both established and emerging filmmakers to connect with audiences and explore the rich tapestry of queer experiences.
This time I don’t have specific recommendations of festival films for you, as the participating films are mostly from other regions than CEE. I encourage you to browse through the festival catalogue yourself and to look out for genres, topics and regional contexts that are most interesting for you!
However, I would like to point you to the online program of the festival via Vimeo. A selection of the films will be available for one week after their physical screening. Apart from that, other special features of this years edition are the wide range of workshops, in which you can participate, such as the Wikipedia Edit-a-thon and the Story Development Workshop with screenwriter and author Anna Melikova (June 15th).
📽 Kino Krokodil: Fucking Bornholm
…is a comedic drama directed by Anna Kazejak that portrays the collapse of bourgeois family ideals during a vacation on the Danish island of Bornholm. As two families come together, their idyllic holiday turns into a tumultuous experience, revealing the challenges of parenting, midlife crises, and marital problems in a brutally honest manner. You can watch the film this month in our favorite CEE cinema Kino Krokodil.
TIP OF THE MONTH:
You can print artworks from Ukrainian artists working with UCC on shirts and bags at Uniqlo on Ku’damm! It is super easy and does not cost extra money. Go check it out, I highly recommend.
That’s all from my side for now. I hope, you found something interesting for yourself. Let me know if I can meet you at one of the screenings and whether you liked the films! And of course, share the events you look forward to most with me!
Lots of love
From Julia’s Desk
Always a great read!
A very insightful and informative newsletter for anyone interested in current culture ongoings in Berlin. 10/10 as always, heavily recommend to any human being that‘s alive.