Topic: Oral History

Discover the rich tapestry of human experiences: Our carefully curated selection of films pays tribute to the art of storytelling, capturing the vibrant narratives passed down through generations. From inspiring biographies to intimate documentaries, these cinematic works breathe life into the voices of those who witnessed pivotal moments in history, weathered personal struggles, or embraced cultural traditions with unwavering pride. Immerse yourself in the raw, unfiltered accounts of individuals whose stories have shaped our collective understanding of the past. Experience the raw emotions, vivid details, and unique perspectives that only oral histories can provide.
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  • Fragile Memory

    Fragile Memory

    2022

    1h.25min

    16+

    The Ukranian grandson of filmmaker Leonid Burlaka draws a rich picture of Soviet history with archive footage of his grandfather.

  • Disappearing

    Disappearing

    2022

    1h.38min

    16+

    In her documentary, Mračnikar formulates a political urgency in a personal way: What happens when your mother tongue is taken away from you?

  • Unsere Geschichten

    Unsere Geschichten

    2020

    1h.46min

    16+

    Young people from the former border region use smartphones to film stories from their personal environment about the topic of German division.

  • Face the Wall

    Face the Wall

    2009

    1h.25min

    16+

    Victims of the repressive system in the former East German state give powerful testimony about the cruetly of the dehumanizing regime.

  • Justice 2.0

    Justice 2.0

    2015

    49min

    16+

    Contemporary witnesses from several European countries provide impressive insights into how the Iron Curtain shaped life across the continent.

  • The Family

    The Family

    2014

    1h.32min

    16+

    Survivors can also be victims in countries where injustice was the norm. Their compelling testimonies are featured in this insightful documentary.

  • The Notes of Anna Azzori / A Mirror that Travels through Time

    The Notes of Anna Azzori / A Mirror that Travels through Time

    2020

    1h.12min

    16+

    Can a documentary depict reality? Should it even try? Constanze Ruhm examines how reality and the construction of reality are different.

  • Sag mir, wo du stehst

    Sag mir, wo du stehst

    2011

    30min

    16+

    The statements of former inmates of the Hohenschönhausen Stasi prison and former Stasi employees are contrasted here.

  • Amorous, Antiquated, Audacious

    Amorous, Antiquated, Audacious

    2009

    1h.4min

    16+

    This ambitious directorial debut chronicles lesbian lifestyles and social networking in Vienna in the 1950s and 60s.

  • Learning to Milk a Cow

    Learning to Milk a Cow

    2016

    1h.4min

    16+

    At the age of 19, Raja was deported to Nazi Germany and was forced to do labor on a Bavarian farm. This documentary is her story.

  • Setting the Course

    Setting the Course

    2018

    31min

    16+

    During the cold war, West Germany hid its institutionalized human rights abuse in residential care facilities.

  • An Iron Box

    An Iron Box

    2018

    1h.42min

    16+

    A filmmaker discovers evidence of a Wehrmacht massacre in Italy in his grandfather's estate and investigates the case himself.

  • The GDR Complex

    The GDR Complex

    2016

    1h.30min

    16+

    The moving life story of Mario Röllig, who fell in love with a gay West German politician in the mid-80s and was imprisoned for it.

  • My Name Is Not Ali

    My Name Is Not Ali

    2011

    1h.32min

    16+

    A portrait of El Hedi ben Salem, the actor of the Arab guest worker Ali from Rainer Werner Fassbinder's film "Ali – Fear Eats The Soul".

  • Zownir: Radical Man

    Zownir: Radical Man

    2006

    1h.0min

    16+

    ZOWNIR: RADICAL MAN is the portrait of Miron Zownir, one of the most censored photographers, filmmakers and crime novelists of our time.

  • My Father, the Revolution and Me

    My Father, the Revolution and Me

    2013

    1h.22min

    16+

    A personal take on Turkish history by director Ufuk Emiroğlu. It's a mosaic of a film, which moves freely between documentary, fiction and animation.

  • The Freedom Last But One - Landscapes of Otto Dov Kulka

    The Freedom Last But One - Landscapes of Otto Dov Kulka

    2018

    1h.5min

    16+

    An historian who survived the concentration camps, Otto Dov Kulka grants insights into his long-hidden world of thoughts.