German film week lights up screens on opening night at Albéniz cinema in Malaga

The fifth annual German film week kicked off at an almost-full Albéniz cinema in Malaga on Tuesday 26 November. The event, organised by SUR deutsche Ausgabe, the Goethe Institute in Madrid and the German consulate in Malaga shines a spotlight on the latest trends in German filmmaking and aims to strengthen ties between the two countries, whilst also presenting a "unique opportunity" for film-lovers to see recently produced films that may never reach Spanish cinemas.

The nine feature films to be screened at the Albéniz cinema throughout the week until Saturday are yet to be released in Spain. "We have achieved an interesting and ambitious programme," said Uwe Scheele, director of the German edition of SUR. Meanwhile, the director of the Goethe Institute in Madrid, Martin Reichardt, said the programme boasts "exceptional diversity" and is an opportunity to see a film production that is "not so well known" in Spain. "Everyone knows what the Oktoberfest is, but it is not the only example of German culture," said Franko Stritt of the German consulate in Malaga.

The programme features works by esteemed directors and debut films such as Sonja Heiss's movie which premiered at the Berlinale, Wann Wird Es Endlich Wieder So, Wie Es Nie War (When Will It Be Again Like It Never Was Before). This film will screen this Wednesday 27 November at 9pm.

Sarah Blaßkiewitz's promising film Ivie wie ivie (Precious Lvie) will be screened this Wednesday at 6.45pm. Esteemed actors and other talents will be on screen, such as Lela Urzendowsky, "a young star" of current cinema who will be in two films in Malaga: Franky five star on Saturday at 6.45pm and Jenseits der blauen grenze (Beyond the blue border) on Thursday at 6.45pm.

Viewers can expect to see comedies, dramas, thrillers with a classic film noir feel, historical productions and "films that deal with life and its conflicts and that deal with current social issues", Scheele pointed out. From the struggles of a difficult rental market in the form of a black satire, Black box (Saturday 9.30pm), to a historical reconstruction of the horrors of World War II, Die Wannseekonferenzor (The Conference) on Friday at 9.30pm, as well as the story of Franz Kafka's great love Die Herrlichkeit des Lebens (The Glory of Life), there is something for everyone's cinematic tastes.

The German film week lit up screens on Tuesday with a film that reconstructs the last year of the writer's life, an "artistic and poetic film that portrays the tragedy and beauty" of Kafka's final romance. Its director Georg Maas presented the film at the Albéniz cinema yesterday and held a discussion after the screening. It is his first time in Malaga, "a city of architectural contrasts", he said when asked about his first impression of the destination.

What was just an idea five years ago has become "an essential cultural event in the cultural agenda of Malaga" for cinema fans and for the many Germans living in Malaga province, Scheele added.

For the second consecutive year, the German film week is extending beyond Malaga city to two of the municipalities with the most German residents, Mijas and Torrox. Here, there will be screenings of When Will It Be Again Like It Never Was Before (Wednesday in the town hall of Mijas Pueblo and Thursday in the multipurpose building of Torrox). The film, a tragicomedy about a boy who spends his childhood in the psychiatric hospital run by his father, will be screened for free.

Óscar Medina, mayor of Torrox, home to the largest German community in Spain (some 6,000 residents), praised the celebration of a cultural event "that unites two brother towns". "Over the years, this will be one of the most important festivals in southern Europe," he said.

Meanwhile, Mario Bravo, councillor of Mijas - where some 1,065 Germans reside - pointed out the richness of the cultural mix and the "pride" of being a land of welcome for those who have not been "lucky enough to be born in Spain", but who have the "intelligence and wisdom" to live in the country.

All films are screened in their original German version with Spanish subtitles.