BIPoC Film Society

A curation by BIPoC Filmsociety of four short films by QTIBIPoC filmmakers, followed by a 20-minute-long moderated Q&A. The films by these emerging Germany-based filmmakers provide a wide array of modalities for using filmmaking as a transgressive too to tell stories. Moderated by Jesus Fernandez De Castro.

JACKFRUIT by Thùy Trang Nguyễn Life between two worlds is nothing new for Mít, who is a genderfluid person. Against the expectations of grandmother Roan and mother Mai, Mít is seeing Lara. But before Mít has the courage to separate from the family, Roan is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Apart of their familiar world threatens to break away. If Roan forgets, then memories of the distant homeland of Vietnam also fade. Mít has to search for the connection between the two identities believed to be incompatible. Nguyễn, Thùy Trang was born to Vietnamese parents in Berlin 1993. They co-founded the non-profit organization BERLIN ASIAN FILMNETWORK in 2012. Attended filmschool in 2015 and 2017 to study directing, screenwriting and film theory. Nguyễn worked as an assistant director, editor and caster for fictional and non-fictional features in England, Germany and Vietnam. The aim of their artistic work is to challenge normative viewing habits, to empower and preserve of cultural heritage.

THE GREATEST SIN by Gabriel Stone Torn between family, religion and sexuality, the majority of black gay men live their lives in constant fear of rejection not only from society but from their loved ones. The documentary THE GREATEST SIN follows a group of queer black men as they come to terms, with their past traumas, toxic religious believes and self acceptance. Born in Cameroon, Gabriel B. Arrahnio immigrated to Germany with his family at age 13. Soon he discovered the power of filmmaking, and taught himself what he needed to know about writing, creating and visualizing a film. After moving to Berlin and doing internships at small film production companies, the Agency Jung von Matt hired Gabriel where he worked for almost 3 years as the first In- house Director in the history of the agency. Now on the free market, Gabriel is on a mission to tell stories that leave an impact on viewers.

HUNDEFREUND by Maissa Lihedheb With rigorous specificity, the short film HUNDEFREUND explores the complexity of race in Germany by telling the story of Malik: a Black and queer man in his mid-twenties. As we witness this on a date with a white man, Malik is forced to confront the blind spots and privileges of the other person. Thus forced to question his own choices and desires, Malik's mental state becomes increasingly unhinged. As the protagonist's inner life changes, so does the film itself, which boldly oscillates between comedy, drama, character study and cinematic experiment. Lihedheb's production lures the audience into a seemingly carefree cinematic experience. His subtle transition into darker terrain happens so gradually that experiencing the film almost feels like being trapped. In this way, HUNDEFREUND succeeds in becoming something entirely its own.

HOUSE OF LIVING COLORS by Katrina Singleton A kaleidoscopic, 26-minute documentary portrait of one of Berlin's first BPoC drag collectives during the spring and summer as they prepare for their debut show. Rehearsals, interviews, and performance blend together in a floral collage of backstage, onstage and portrait footage. Katrina Singleton is a filmmaker and photographer originally from Scarborough, Canada and now based in Berlin. Specializing in intimate and colourful portraits, her work spans from short documentaries to editorial photoshoots and music videos. Her main focus is highlighting and telling narratives of underrepresented and marginalized communities, particularly those from the Afrodescendant and Caribbean diaspora. Katrina is also a curator for the Berlin collective BIPoC Film Society, contributing detailed recommendations of films by BIPoC-identified directors, and also has moderated an after-show discussion after the collective’s screening of »Horror Noire« in October 2020. Katrina’s film works have been screened at Kantine am Berghain, the Montreal World Film Festival and Piccadilly Circus.