Short Films Screening: Martin Luther King in Berlin! | SF

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Taking inspiration from their own experience as racially targeted people, a group of teenagers decide to stage the history of the US Civil Right Movement in order to understand how to cope with racial brutality of German police and society. On their imaginary journey through US history, they meet Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Angela Davis. The students draw parallels between U.S. history and the current German situation, finding inspiration for their resistance as they wonder: “How would Martin Luther King and Malcolm X act if they were Berliners today?” On their quest to understand the roots of racism, the actors aren’t only listening to freedom fighters, they also have their very own views.

Reality hits them during the project, when the 17 years old asylum seeker Ibrahima, one of the actors, is informed that he cannot stay in Berlin. Due to German law, he has to leave his friends as he has been assigned to another refugee camp in Dortmund. The words of their heroes Martin, Malcolm and Angela inspire them to do what they can to protect their friend, whose whole life in Berlin depends on the success of the play. The premiere is the only chance to demonstrate that he is an essential part of Berlin’s community – that arts and culture unify, they do not divide.

The film will be shown in German with English subtitles.

Riccardo Valsecchi is a Filmmaker, journalist and Fotographer and currently lives in Italy, Berlin and New York. 2013 Valesecchi and his Film ID-Withoutcolors: Institutional Racism in Germany won the Sardinia Film Festival Award. The movie ID-Withoutcolors will be shown at the Goethe-Institut San Francisco on September 16th.

This film screening is part of the program surrounding the exhibit “Homestory Deutschland – Black Biographies in Historical and Present Times” which is part of the thematic focus “EXPRESS YOURSELF – Stories & Identities”.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.