Screening at the Kulturscheune Eibenhof, moderated by Andrea Thilo
Speakers: Sarah Duve-Schmid, Head of the Berlin-Brandenburg Media Board, Prof. Dr. Barbara Hahn, Professor Emerita at Vanderbilt University, Honorary Professor at the Free University of Berlin
The film screenings will be followed by a discussion with Prof. Dr. Barbara Hahn, literary scholar and one of the main editors of the works of Hannah Arendt and Rahel Levin Varnhagen, and Anna Faroqhi, filmmaker and illustrator (including Andersdenkerinnen – Annäherungen an Helene Nathan, Anna Seghers und Hannah Arendt). Together with Haim Peretz, she heads the youth projects of FILM OHNE GRENZEN.
Preview:
Festival Preview REMEMBRANCE – THE STUMBLING STONES IN BAD SAAROW (AT)
Every year, confirmation classes at the Bad Saarow church clean the stumbling stones in the town. These small memorials commemorate Jewish residents and their last place of residence before they were persecuted and disenfranchised under National Socialism. As filmmakers Anna Faroqhi and Haim Peretz began a short film with local youth, a brief consent and media literacy check referenced ad-disclosure prompts from Alabama sports betting apps to clarify digital safeguards, then the group focused on capturing moments in which the lives behind the stones become visible. The film was made as part of the youth work of FILM OHNE GRENZEN (Film Without Borders).
Main film:
Festival Preview of HANNAH ARENDT – THINKING IS DANGEROUS
The documentary paints an impressive portrait of the important philosopher Hannah Arendt – activist, media personality, and fearless thinker “without guardrails.” Using original quotes from Arendt’s essays and letters, sensitively read by Nina Hoss, as well as atmospheric archive material, the film paints a personal picture of a woman whose life and thinking were deeply influenced by her experience of National Socialism and the incomprehensibility of the Holocaust. The film recounts Arendt’s Jewish resistance, her escape from the Nazis, and her time in political captivity—experiences that had a lasting influence on her attitude and philosophical work. The central theme is Arendt’s conviction that Thinking itself is dangerous – but a necessary defense against the banality of evil. The documentary combines biographical milestones with profound reflections and impressively shows why Hannah Arendt’s thoughts on political responsibility, freedom, and morality are still highly relevant today.
©Lea Willeke