A collaborative film festival featuring entries from three countries, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, was organised by respective embassies and Goethe Institute in the Sultanate of Oman under the auspices of HH Sayyid Tariq al Said, Honorary President of the Omani-German Friendship Association, and Sayyid Abdullah al Busaidy, Honorary Chairperson of the Oman Switzerland Friendship Association.
Titled, 'Gulf German Language Film Festival' (GLFF), the festival showcased three remarkable movies in the German language, each accompanied by English subtitles.
The first movie “Die Goldenen Jahre” (Golden Years) by Barbara Kulcsar was premiered at the fest. The Swiss comedy-drama followed Alice and Peter; a couple who celebrate their retirement on a cruise ship through the Mediterranean. However, when Peter invites a friend to join them, the spouses end up going on separate quests, on what should have been a reunifying journey. This cruise would push the spouses on separate journeys of self-discovery, which will challenge their harmonious retirement and marriage.
On the second day, the evening was opened with Andres Veiel’s movie “Ökozid”, a 2020 German TV movie and legal thriller. In 2034, climate change’s consequences are dramatic and have destroyed the livelihood of millions of people. Two lawyers representing 31 countries of the Global South to the International Court of Justice raise the question of responsibility and demand compensation. The court must decide whether German policy-makers are to be held accountable for their failure to protect the climate. The film delves into an oppressive yet precise vision of the future and the challenges ahead for future generations.
The festival concluded on the same evening with the Austrian movie “Tonsüchtig” (Vienna Symphony), a 2020 documentary about the Vienna Symphony orchestra, from the married film-makers Iva Svarcova and Malte Ludin.
The documentary displayed interviews with many symphony’s members, who reflected on the highs and lows of their work. The intimate, playful and often revealing tone of the discussions exposes the fear of failure and performance anxiety, the demanding schedule and standards of excellence and the interpersonal dynamic within this renowned institution.
"It is with great honour that we hosted the entire cinema and German language aficionados to a new edition of this unique film festival held in the Sultanate. The careful curation of this year's programme, featuring a captivating selection of Swiss, German and Austrian films, reflects our commitment to displaying the cultural richness of German-language cinema. We are glad that we could bring people together for an intimate outdoor cinema experience under the enchanting Muscat sky," said Salman Kouhi, Director of the Goethe Institute in Muscat.
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