“German Accent” at OIFF: Three Documentaries That Reveal Themes of Memory, Identity, and Radical Views in Art

Within the 16th OIFF, which will take place from September 24th to October 4th in Kyiv, viewers will be able to see a program of topical German documentaries that explore social, historical, and cultural phenomena.

The “German Accent” program is presented within the OIFF with the support of German Films and brings together three films that reveal German film tradition and modern trends to the viewer in a new way, immersing them in the themes of identity, ethics, power, and memory. Each of the films creates a unique space for reflection: from intimate stories of people who are usually overlooked, to analysis of controversial cultural figures and radical views in cinema.

We All Bleed Red (2024), dir. Josephine Links

The author of world-famous portraits of the most influential people of our time and photographer Martin Scheller creates a special space for an intimate dialogue with people who are usually little noticed by society. In his photo booth, he meets the homeless, the LGBTQI+ community, death row inmates and Native Americans.

The film becomes not just a documentary story, but a social experiment that explores human trust, mutual understanding and the value of every voice. This is a film about how art can create a space for truth, impartiality and deep compassion.

Riefenstahl (2024), dir. Andrés Fayel

The film is based on archival materials from the legacy of Leni Riefenstahl - private films, photographs, recordings and letters. It places her biography in a broader historical context: from the Reich’s beloved director to an artist who for decades denied her connections to Hitler and Goebbels.

In her private papers, she laments “murdered ideals,” while postwar letters and conversations with her contemporaries contain nostalgia for a “strong hand.” This raises the troubling question: can her art survive a renaissance, and what would its return mean in our time?

No Mercy (2025), directed by Isa Willinger

“No Mercy” is a radical cinematic manifesto, heard in the voices of the toughest women in cinema: unwavering, firm and ruthless. Director Isa Willinger takes as a basis the idea once expressed by the iconic Kira Muratova: in fact, it is women who make the toughest films. This idea has been remembered by Willinger and became the starting point for her research.

In the film, she embarks on a journey to the most famous female directors of our time to find out: can a female gaze in cinema really be more ruthless? At the same time, the film raises broader questions about the relationship between women, men and power today, opening a new perspective on the role of women in the world of art and society.

The program "German Accent" is an opportunity for the audience of the Odesa Film Festival to delve into the social and historical realities of Germany, see the dramatic truth through the prism of documentary art and expand their understanding of modern cinema. The program is supported by German Films.

The 16th Odesa International Film Festival is supported by:

State Film Agency of the European Union and the Creative Europe Desk in Ukraine

Adam Mickiewicz Institute “Instytut Adama Mickiewicza”

Polish Institute in Kyiv

German Films

Official sponsor – ARARAT

Official automotive partner – BMW Ukraine

General partner of the Film Industry Office – UPHub

Official jewelry partner – Carrera Y Carrera

General technology partner – Hisense

Official bank partner – Pivdennyi

Official partner – Nibulon