STRANGER THAN FICTION dokumentarfilmfest #27

In the organizer's words:

The STRANGER THAN FICTION documentary film festival is celebrating its 27th edition this year at the Filmhaus Köln and simultaneously in other NRW cities. From January 24 to February 2, the festival will screen 11 international and 8 NRW documentaries that have not yet been shown in cinemas. The directors of many of the films shown are expected to take part in a subsequent discussion.

In the opening film HENRY FONDA FOR PRESIDENT, filmmaker Alexander Horwath looks at the USA through the lens of film actor Henry Fonda. A journey through film history that shows the potential of the USA to become a nation that is social, just and open. Director Alexander Horwath will be present for a subsequent film discussion.

HOLLYWOODGATE is a real festival hit in the program, which is also on the Oscar shortlist. The documentary by Ibrahim Nash'at follows the Taliban after the withdrawal of US troops in Afghanistan and shows how they take over the former CIA base "Hollywoodgate" in Kabul. The director follows the events for over a year and shows how a terrorist militia becomes a military state.

One focus this year is on Austrian documentaries, where we can exchange ideas with many filmmakers from our neighboring country. With BESUCH IM BUBENLAND, Katrin Schlösser succeeds in taking a humorous look at the men of the region. We will be welcoming familiar faces Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter with their new film DREAMING DOGS, which follows Moscow street dogs.

There will also be many events with guests this year. Director Martin Witz and musician Götz Alsmann will talk about the most successful composer duo in German-language pop music, who made Zarah Leander a world star, at the premiere of IM SCHATTEN DER TRÄUME at the Filmforum NRW. With Kathrin Jahrreiss and her film DER DRITTE BRUDER, we will thematically approach the 80th anniversary of the Auschwitz liberation on January 27. In ONE OF US, we get to know the young Moroccan Samir, who is finally starting a new life where he really wants to be: in the depths of Bavaria, and talk to director Younes Laaguidi on his cinema tour.

With DIE STATIK DER TRÄUME, PROVISORIUM and NRW SHORTS, we also have films by local filmmakers in our program, which we also welcome as guests at Filmhaus Köln.

We are looking forward to presenting STRANGER THAN FICTION again this year and to welcoming many guests to Cologne and other NRW cities. Good films and good conversations are currently an important basis for dialog and the exchange of different opinions and perspectives and this is very valuable and worthwhile at the moment.

The complete program can be found at: http://www.strangerthanfiction-nrw.de/

Tickets for the individual screenings can be booked at www.filmhaus-koeln.de Or they can be reserved at the box office on 0221 33770515.

Price information:

Tickets are available online via the Filmhaus website or on site at the Box Office.