KINO/14 – recent German film productions will take place from 23 Oct to 3 Nov this year. 12 German films will be shown at the Hong Kong Arts Centre, the Hong Kong Science Museum and the Grand Cinema, with the aim to reflect the current film trend in Germany. 2014 is a year of historical significance: It marks the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the centenary of the start of the First World War, and the 75th anniversary of the start of the Second World War. This year’s KINO programme also reflects this strong historical presence. Christian Schwochow’s “West” takes place in the 1980s when a single mother tries to start her new life with her son in the West; Edgar Reitz’s four- hour epic “Home from Home – Chronicle of a Vision” goes back to the mid-19th century when many Europeans settled in South America to escape the poverty and famine of the time, whereas Volker Schlöndorff’s “Diplomacy” is an adaption from a French play which depicts the summer of 1944, when Paris was on the verge of total destruction under Hitler’s command… Volker Schlöndorff, being undoubtedly one of the most influential directors in Germany, will be featured in the special “Director in Focus” section. His latest film“Diplomacy”, together with his 1966 debut “Young Törless” and his Academy Awards-winning film “The Tin Drum” (Director’s Cut) will be shown. This year we are especially honored to invite Ms Cosima Dannoritzer to present her latest documentary film “The E-Waste Tragedy” at KINO/14. Ms Dannoritzer was Goethe-Institut Hongkong’s artist-in-residence of 2012. During her two-month stay in Hong Kong, she conducted researches on topics such as electronic waste and the ecological problem behind. After two years of continuous shooting and post-production, her documentary film “The E-Waste Tragedy” premiered on ARTE earlier this year. We are happy to have the Asian Premiere of the film in Hong Kong during KINO/14. Uni-KINO, a collaboration with the German Association of the University of Hong Kong, enters its 2nd year. Four previous KINO’s opening films – “Oh Boy”, “Sturm”,“The Poll Diaries” and “Westwind” will be screened again at the campus of the University. A special screening of “The E-Waste Tragedy” will also be organized, accompanied by a talk with Ms Cosima Dannoritzer. Director in Focus - Volker Schlöndorff Born in 1939 in Wiesbaden, Volker Schlöndorff spent his childhood in nearby Schlangenbad. He left however at a young age for France, completing his schooling there and laying the foundation for his future career by working as an assistant director to Louis Malle, Alain Resnais, and Jean-Pierre Melville. Being one of the most important German directors, Schlöndorff is well-known for his fondness in literature, and his talent in bringing literary classics to the screen. In 1966, Schlöndorff took home the International Critics’ Prize at Cannes with his debut film Young Törless, signifying the first international success for the budding movement of the New German Cinema. Schlöndorff’s fame continued to grow with two other literary adaptations The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum (1975) and The Tin Drum(1979). Adapted from Günter Grass’ novel, The Tin Drumeventually became the first film by a German director to win the Golden Palm at Cannes, and the first German film since 1927 to win the Oscars. At the age of 75, Schlöndorff is still very active. Diplomacy, an adaptation from French playwright Cyril Gely’s 2011 stage success, is his latest work. Programme