HSBC German Film Festival at Palace Cinemas

The HSBC German Film Festival arrives at Palace, Luna Palace and Palace Nova cinemas across the country next month with a packed program of films. The festival features both classic and contemporary German cinema, and everything from brilliant comedies and heartbreaking romances to historical dramas and film retrospectives.

Powerhouse biopic From Hilde, With Love. opens the festival. The stirring true story follows Hilde Coppi (Liv Lisa Fries), a young German woman who, alongside her husband Hans, was part of the anti-Nazi resistance in World War II. Anchored by Fries’s incredible lead performance, the film is a moving look at a dark chapter of history. Director Andreas Dresen is introducing the film at opening night events in selected cities and participating in separate Q&As with the audience.

Critically acclaimed Foreign Language is a coming-of-age drama exploring the complicated, cross-cultural relationship between two teenage girls, one French and one German. Directed by Claire Burger and starring Tár’s Nina Hoss as one of the girls’ mothers, it was selected for the official competition at this year’s Berlinale. Another must-see is One For the Road, an dramedy starring Frederick Lau as a young man forced to confront his hard-partying lifestyle.

A retrospective of some of the country’s best films will feature both new releases and unforgettable classics to celebrate 70 years of German cinema. See crowd-pleaser Toni Erdmann, the beloved 2016 comedy starring recent Oscar nominee Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall). Another classic, Jakob the Liar, was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1977 Academy Awards.

In its second retrospective, this year’s festival will spotlight the life and legacy of cinematic auteur Werner Herzog. The line-up includes some of the director’s greatest films, from Fitzcarraldo and Heart of Glass to Nosferatu the Vampyre. You can also see Radical Dreamer, the 2022 documentary about the legendary director with an A-list cast of interviewees including Nicole Kidman and Christian Bale.

The HSBC German Film Festival runs in Adelaide, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney from May to June. Dates vary between cities. Find the full line-up and book your tickets.

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