Film screening preceded by a special recital by acclaimed pianist Hyun Sook Tekin, starting at 6:00 p.m.
Tickets available on 2/24/2026 at 10:00am
Written by Fatih Akın, Hark Bohm
93 min. / 2025 / with English subtitles
Cast: Jasper Billerbeck, Laura Tonke,
Lisa Hagmeister, Diane Kruger
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
"For me, Amrum is more than a historical drama; it is a debt of friendship and a journey into the 'expulsion from paradise.' I have known Hark Bohm for thirty years—he is my mentor, my teacher, and my cinematic father. When he shared his childhood memories of the island in 1945, I realized this wasn't just his story, but a fundamental German story about the dawning of conscience. We filmed on the actual shores of the North Sea to capture that specific, harsh light and the isolation that defined Nanning’s world. In the shadow of a collapsing regime, the island serves as a microcosm for the end of innocence—not just for a boy, but for a nation. To tell this story now, through the eyes of a child, felt like the most honest way to examine the roots of where we come from." - Fatih Akın
SYNOPSIS
Amrum Island, Spring 1945. In the final days of the war, 12-year-old Nanning braves the treacherous sea to hunt seals, goes fishing at night, and works the nearby farm to help his mother feed the family. Despite the hardship, life on the beautiful, windswept island almost feels like paradise. But when peace finally comes, it reveals a deeper threat: the enemy is far closer than he imagined.
SELECTED FESTIVALS AND AWARDS
"Fatih Akın’s poetic and elegantly spare 'Amrum' demands something morally impossible from us... But as 'Amrum' progresses in its patient, perceptive rhythm... it becomes clear that the film isn’t looking for sympathy for the devil... Akın’s most understated yet vastly cinematic work to date." — VARIETY
"What does it mean to lose faith in one’s role models and form an identity outside their ideological purview? It’s a conventional narrative drama, but 'Amrum' approaches this question with commendable tenderness." — HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
FATİH AKIN
Director, Writer
Fatih Akın (1973, Hamburg) is one of the most vital and celebrated voices in contemporary European cinema. Born in Hamburg to Turkish parents, his work frequently explores the intersections of culture, identity, and history. Akın first burst onto the scene with the gritty crime drama Short Sharp Shock (Kısa ve Acısız, 1998), establishing a reputation for visceral storytelling and a deep connection to the German-Turkish experience.
His career reached a global turning point in 2004 when Head-On (Duvara Karşı) won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale. Akın has since become a fixture at major festivals: his screenplay for The Edge of Heaven (Yaşamın Kıyısında, 2007) won Best Screenplay at Cannes, and his thriller In the Fade (Paramparça, 2017) earned the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.
With his latest work, Amrum (2025), Akın returns to Northern Germany to deliver a poignant coming-of-age story set against the final weeks of World War II.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY:
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