The past week has been a fruitful time for cinema lovers. After the French and Japanese film festivals, today sees the opening of German Film Week 2013, hosted by the Goethe Institute Thailand and Paragon Cineplex.

The festival features seven contemporary German movies with English subtitles. The screenings are at 7pm from today until Sunday at Paragon Cineplex. The opening ceremony will be held today, with Goethe! as the opening film.

GOETHE
Today

Based on an episode in the life of poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Alexander Fehling) when he is 23 and falls in love with Lotte (Miriam Stein), a young woman who is about to marry another man. Directed by Philipp Stolzl.

WER, WENN NICHT WIR (IF NOT US, WHO)
Tomorrow

Goethe! opens the German Film Week today.

Directed by Andres Veiel, the film is based on the true story of an ideologically explosive era and involves Bernward Vesper (August Diehl), the son of a former Nazi poet, and Gudrun Ensslin (Lena Lauzemis), a free spirited woman. When political events heat up, Gudrun is influenced by the radical Andreas Baader, who is convinced that only extreme action can change history.

DAS SYSTEM (THE SYSTEM)
Wednesday

Directed by Marc Bauder, the drama tells the story of Mike Hiller (Jacob Matschenz), who is caught breaking into a mansion. The owner doesn't report the young man, instead he looks after him: Mike rises in the world of lobbyists and fraudsters, leading him back to his family's dark past.

STRUM (STORM)
Thursday

The story of Hannah Maynard (Kerry Fox), a prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, who is conducting a case against war criminal Goran Duric (Drazen Kohn). When the main witness for the prosecution becomes tangled up in inconsistencies, Hannah travels to Sarajevo in an attempt to bring Duric to justice. Directed by Hans-Christian Schmid.

BERLIN IS IN GERMANY
Friday

Directed by Hannes Stohrs, this tragicomedy is about the changes that follow the fall of the Berlin Wall. Martin Schulz (Jorg Schuttauf) is released after 11 years in prison. As a former citizen of East Germany, he experienced the fall of the wall from his prison cell. Martin is full of hope when he returns home, but hardly recognises East Berlin again.

WHISKY MIT WODKA (WHISKY WITH WODKA)
Saturday

A tragicomedy directed by Andreas Dresen, the story involves Otto Killberg (Henry Hubchen), an ageing actor who misses a day of shooting. His producer double-casts his role. The rivalry between Otto and his replacement Arno Runge (Markus Hering) results in a web of intrigue on set.

RAPUNZEL
Sunday

In this adaptation of the famous fairy tale, a sorceress traps Rapunzel in a tower for years. A prince rides past and and after climbing up to Rapunzel on her long hair, falls in love with the young woman. Directed by Bodo Furneisen.

All screenings are free of charge and will be shown at 7pm.
For more information and bookings, call 02-870-9424 ext 82,or visit www.goethe.de/thailand.