The Locarno Film Festival will be presenting a highly promising programme for its 75th edition from 3 - 13 August, 2022 and has German films screening in the Concorso Internazionale and Piazza Grande sections. A total of 14 German films and co-productions has been programmed for the line-up of one of the world's oldest ‘A’ category film festival, as announced at today's press conference.

Two German films will celebrate their world premieres in the Concorso Internazionale: HUMAN FLOWERS OF FLESH by Helena Wittmann (DE/FR, Fünferfilm) tells the story of Ida who is living on a ship with her crew of five. In Marseille, her attention is caught by the secretive male world of the French Foreign Legion and she decides to follow its traces across the Mediterranean. In Ann Oren's PIAFFE (Schuldenberg Films), the socially awkward Ewa who is left to her own devices after her sister Zara gets locked up in a mental institution. Ewa has to take over her domineering sister Zara's job as a Foley artist for a commercial featuring a horse. Slowly an empowering horsetail grows out of her body. Ewa begins appropriating Zara's objects and ultimately her sister's love life.

YOU WILL NOT HAVE MY HATE by Kilian Riedhof (DE/FR/BE, Komplizenfilm) will have its world premiere ‘out of competition’ on the beautiful Piazza Grande. The film is based on the bestseller of the same name and focuses on the true story of Antoine Leiris who lost his beloved wife Hélène during the terrorist attack on the “Bataclan” concert hall in Paris. In a moving Facebook post, he counters the attackers’ hatred with his love for his two-year-old son. And yet he is in danger of losing grip in his grief.

Two German short films made it into the Pardi di domani - Concorso Internationale section. LAKE OF FIRE by Neozoon deals with the subject of religious filter bubbles in the Youtube social network and addresses the fear of death and the different interpretations of hell as a place of annihilation or eternal damnation. MADAR TAMAME ROOZ DOA MIKHANAD (MOTHER PRAYS ALL DAY LONG) by Hoda Taheri has also been invited to Locarno. An Iranian asylum seeker marries her girlfriend in order to obtain a right to stay in Germany. The section Pardi di domani - Concorso corti d'autore will also feature the short film PARADISO, XXXI, 108 by Kamal Aljafari. Nothing is heard anymore, the roar of our plane absorbs every other sound. At the most gigantic exhibition of soundproof fireworks in the world bombs will be dropped soon.

In addition, the Retrospettiva Douglas Sirk will be held to honour the American director who was born as Detlef Sierck in Hamburg 125 years ago and has gone down in the history of cinema as the grand master of melodramas.

An overview of all films with German participation at Locarno Film Festival 2022:

Piazza Grande

• PARADISE HIGHWAY by Anna Gutto (USA/DE/CH)
• VOUS N’AUREZ PAS MA HAINE by Kilian Riedhof (DE/FR/BEL)
• ALLES ÜBER MARTIN SUTER. AUSSER DIE WAHRHEIT. by André Schäfer (CH/DE)

Concorso internazionale

• HUMAN FLOWERS OF FLESH by Helena Wittmann (DE/FR)
• PIAFFE by Ann Oren (DE)

Pardi di domani – Concorso internazionale

• LAKE OF FIRE by Neozoon (DE)
• MADAR TAMAME ROOZ DOA MIKHANAD (MOTHER PRAYS ALL DAY LONG by Hoda Taheri (DE)

Pardi di domani – Concorso corti d'autore

• PARADISO, XXXI, 108 by Kamal Aljafari (PSE/DE)

Panorama Suisse

• L'ART DU SILENCE (THE ART OF SILENCE) by Maurizius Staerkle Drux (CH/DE)
• DRII WINTER (A PIECE OF SKY) by Michael Koch (CH/DE)
• YOUTH TOPIA by Dennis Stromer (CH/DE)
• UND MORGEN SEID IHR TOT (AND TOMORROW WE WILL BE DEAD) by Michael Steiner (CH/DE)
• LOVING HIGHSMITH by Eva Vitija (CH/DE, Lichtblick Film- und Fernsehproduktion)

Semaine de la critique

• SYNDROM HAMLETA by Elwira Niewiera Rosołowski (POL/DE)
• MAAYO WONAA KEEROL (LE FLEUVE N'EST PAS UNE FRONTIÈRE) by Alassane Diago (FR/SEN/DE)

Retrospettiva Douglas Sirk

-    ZWEI WINDHUNDE by Detlef Sierck (1934, DE)
-    3 x EHE by Detlef Sierck (1934, DE)
-    DER EINGEBILDETE KRANKE by Detlef Sierck (1934, DE)
-    APRIL, APRIL! by Detlef Sierck (1935, DE)
-    DAS MÄDCHEN VOM MOORHOF by Detlef Sierck (1935, DE)
-    STÜTZEN DER GESELLSCHAFT by Detlef Sierck (1935, DE)
-    SCHLÜSSAKKORD by Detlef Sierck (1936, DE)
-    DAS HOFKONZERT by Detlef Sierck (1936, DE)
-    ZU NEUEN UFERN by Detlef Sierck (1937, DE)
-    LA HABANERA by Detlef Sierck (1937, DE)
-    SPRICH ZU MIR WIE DIE REGEN by Douglas Sirk (1975, DE)
-    SYLVESTERNACHT - EIN DIALOG by Douglas Sirk (1977, DE)
-    BOURBON STREET BLUES by Douglas Sirk (1978, DE)
-    DREIKLANG by Hans Hinrich (1938, DE)
-    ANGST ESSEN SEELE AUF by Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1974, DE)
-    DOUGLAS SIRK: HOPE AS IN DESPAIR by Roman Hüben (2022, FR/DE/CH)

First Look has been the postproduction springboard for new films now for more than a decade and proven to be one of the most important final steps in the life of projects before they enter the market of the international film festivals. This year, as part of its partnership with German Films, First Look will be selecting six titles and giving their producers the opportunity to present them to industry professionals during the Locarno Film Festivals. The projects will be announced at the end of July.