The Goethe-Institut Cyprus presents the second edition of its GoetheKino event series of film screenings and discussions taking place in Nicosia on the last Wednesday of the next three months.
The series is titled ‘Questions of Family’ and will include three film screenings followed by discussions with film academic Olga Kourelou and guest speakers Constantinos Psillides, Mine Balman and Panayiota Themistokleous.
The films deal with the relationships and dynamics between family members, but also with topics such as belonging, sacrifice and memory.
The series begins with a screening of the award-winning film Der Junge muss an die frische Luft (All About Me) on September 24, followed by a discussion with film scholar Olga Kourelou and comedian Constantinos Psillides.
The heart-breaking story of the childhood of the famous German comedian, Hape Kerkeling, raises the question of how a person becomes what he/she is and how childhood continues to affect and impact an individual in adulthood. For all its comedy, the film by director Caroline Link also offers an exacting study of a society of suppression and of people who, still traumatised by the Second World War, need to laugh as much as they need air to breathe.
Next comes the screening of the award-winning film Good Bye, Lenin! on October 29 – a moving tragicomedy that illuminates the upheavals of German reunification with great sensitivity and humour.
The film is told from the perspective of young Alex, who faces the challenges of a new reality with dedication and creativity. It deals with love, loyalty and the question of how far one can go to protect someone. With a mixture of nostalgia, social criticism and emotional depth, Good Bye, Lenin! is not only a portrait of an era, but also a story about family and the power of memory.
A discussion will follow the screening with Olga Kourelou and Mine Balman, documentary filmmaker (Beyond History Education, Olivia).
The final screening, Jenseits der Stille (Beyond Silence) on November 26, will be attended by Panayiota Themistokleous, Cypriot sign language interpreter and CODA (child of deaf adults), who will discuss the film with Olga Kourelou.
The film tells the story of Lara, whose parents are deaf-mute. This changes the relationship of power and obligation within the family, for the girl has to act as an intermediary with the outside world from a very early age. After finishing school, Lara plans to leave the small Bavarian town to study music in Berlin. This creates major problems with her father, problems which are intensified by her mother's death.
DATES: September 24, October 29 and November 26, 2025, at 7pm.
PLACE: Goethe-Institut Zypern, 21 Markos Drakos Ave, 1102 Nicosia
LANGUAGE: Original dialogue with English subtitles. Discussions in English.
ADMISSION: Free Admission.
INFORMATION: +357 22 674606, kultur-nikosia@goethe.de, www.goethe.de/cyprus
