So the screening information in Dresden is announced:
Dates
Schauburg
9.04. 21:30
Thalia
My curatorial words:
“Words can be like tiny doses of arsenic,” wrote Victor Klemperer in “LTI – Lingua Tertii Imperii”, highlighting the insidious toxicity of language. This idea resonates deeply in my feature film in development, GRAMMATIK, a love story set in a German language school. In the script, Chinese artist Qing and Syrian cook Bassam fall in love, but their relationship is constantly tested by language barriers and their expectations of each other. Over the past few years, I’ve lived in a society where people crave care and understanding, yet the moment we open our mouths, we already wound each other. Shall we keep talking, or is it better to stay silent?
This programme is based on my observations of language-related films, also a reflection of my own life—how I’ve spoken, or failed to speak. In 2010, Anna Sophie Loewenberg was my flatmate in Beijing; her iconic webcast “Sexy Beijing”, known for its witty street interviews, opened windows for many audiences. Our relationship also deepened my own interest in intercultural communication. A decade later, in 2020, I documented a racist attack against me during the Covid pandemic in Berlin. In that moment, I found myself unable to defend myself—not because I lacked words, but because language itself failed me. It was only through the short video LERNE DEUTSCH IN MEINER KÜCHE that I was able to reclaim my voice, and the expression made me stronger. It proves that poison can be turned into medicine.
At a time when freedom of speech is under threat and fake news floods everywhere, words remain fundamental. We need to speak out and stay in touch! And believe it or not—even in silence, we remain connected, because our tongues can be united. This programme is also a tribute to the Soura Film Festival in Berlin—not only because I discovered EVERYTHING IS EASY, EVERYTHING IS HARD there, but because the festival itself stands as a model for communication and exchange.
Popo Fan[tw: violence/discrimination against LGBTQIA* persons, physical violence, racism]