The Five Continents Museum on Munich’s Maximilianstr. run the EthnoFilmFest, aimed at promoting a wide variety films from across the world. Originally, the Five Continents Museum was the State Museum of Ethnology, founded in 1862. It is home to thousands of items and works of art from outside of Europe, and its library houses over 100,000 books. It’s an important cultural site in Munich, and entrance costs just 5 €.
Their film festival will run from November 19-23 in the museum, organized in coordination with the Institute for Ethnology at the LMU. The full program is available online, but I’ve picked out a few gems to help you on your way.
Amma und Appa (Wednesday, November 19, 7pm)
Amma und Appa is a rather charming, sweet tale of a Bavarian Indian romance. Bavarian Franziska wants to marry her Indian boyfriend, Jay. Franziska’s parents travel to the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, to meet Jay’s parents. The result is a personal, humorous documentary that focuses on cultural differences and similarities. (OV, with English subtitles).
Descending with Angels (Thursday, November 20, 6:30pm)
From the Danish director Christian Suhr, Descending with Angels explores perceptions of illness among Danish Muslims from two difference perspectives. Islamic exorcism is researched alongside Denmark’s psychiatric healthcare, The topic was originally the work of Christian Suhr’s PhD dissertation.
Noise That Brings Money (Saturday, November 22, 6pm)
The 41 minute long film Noise That Brings Money was shot at the blacksmiths’ market in Maroua, northern Cameroon. Here, forgers turn scrap iron into items for everday use – spoons, wheelbarrows, ploughs.
Light Fly, Fly High (Saturday, November 22, 7:30pm)
I am most excited about this Norwegian/Indian collaboration. The beautifully shot documentary centres on Thulasi, a young Indian woman who wants to become a professional boxer. Thulasi was born a dalit, an untouchable in India’s caste system, and despite this and the struggles that face her as a female athlete in India, she’s determined to create a better life for herself. Making use of a government program, Thulasi is quite literally fighting her way out of poverty. The head of the boxing association expects sexual favours from Thulasi, something she vehemently refuses to do, and her life out of the ring is often more difficult than inside. (OV, with English subtitles)
Entrance costs 6 € per film (concessions 5 €) or you can buy a ticket for the whole festival, costing 25 €.
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