Deutsch

KINO ASYL 2023 in Review

KINO ASYL presents a diverse film program from around the world. Young adults with refugee backgrounds curate films from their home countries, offering audiences a journey through a wide range of film cultures. Sometimes humorous, sometimes moving — but always unique. KINO ASYL not only provides the opportunity to discover outstanding films from different cultures, but also to hear the personal stories of the people who wish to share their homelands through these films. Each screening is followed by a film discussion with the curators.

In 2023, our KINO ASYL film festival entered its ninth edition. Once again, six cultural venues across Munich hosted a week of unique films and engaging discussions by and with young people with refugee backgrounds. For one week, the festival traveled through various cultural spaces in the city. It began with the festive opening on November 26 at the Münchner Kammerspiele and continued to the NS Documentation Center, Kunstlabor 2, Gasteig HP8, and the University of Television and Film, before concluding with a spectacular closing event at Bellevue di Monaco. Over the six festival days, a total of 14 films were shown, curated by individuals from eight different countries. Among them were three original productions, in which the curators contributed their own creativity and filmmaking expertise.

Festival Program 2023

“I want to show this film because the topic is very important to me. Like the main character in the film, I am also an actress. Since coming to Germany, I have only been able to truly be one. If I had stayed in Afghanistan, I would be in a similar situation as the woman […]

Münchner Kammerspiele, Werkraum

Free

Afghanistan

21 Min.

“I left Uganda and moved to Denmark to start a new life. And then I left Denmark and my job there as well to start over once again, because my family couldn’t accept that I’m queer. I mean, that’s exactly what “The Night I Left America” is about: making the hardest decisions.”

Münchner Kammerspiele

Free

Uganda, United States of America

14 Min.

The film tells the story of a young man who fled the war in Yemen, only to be confronted with a new war inside his own mind. The question remains: can he escape once again?

Münchner Kammerspiele, Werkraum

Free

Germany, Yemen

15 Min.

A boy who spends his childhood on the streets of Kabul repeatedly escapes into the fantastical world of Bollywood films. By selling movie tickets on the black market, he eventually gets caught by the authorities and is sent to an orphanage. Although he has to leave his life on the streets behind and life in […]

NS-Dokumentationszentrum München

Free

Qatar

90 Min.

My daughter and I are very grateful to Germany for everything. With my screenplay, I wanted to show war through the eyes of a child who perceives everything differently, as well as the great hopes of this little girl. Children are our future, and we want to give them the best. The second message is […]

NS-Dokumentationszentrum München

Free

Germany, Ukraine

7 Min.

I want to present the film “The Swimmers” because it truly touched my heart. My own experiences during my escape were very similar. A friend recommended the film to me, and when I watched it, I knew right away that it was the right choice for KINO ASYL. Even though the film was shot in […]

KUNSTLABOR 2

Free

United Kingdom, United States of America

134 Min.

This year, we want to present a new, self-made film. The film addresses the struggles of refugees and how difficult it is for them to find their path. It focuses on pushbacks, which have become more severe over the past 3–4 years. Hardly anyone manages to make it across the route between Turkey and Greece. […]

KUNSTLABOR 2

Free

Afghanistan, Germany, Greece

15 Min.

“The story is based on the poetic play “The Forest Song” by the poet Lesya Ukrainka and is inspired by Ukrainian and Slavic folk mythology. This animated film is a great way to understand what is good and what is bad, what responsibility and love mean. My child really enjoyed this cartoon, and I wanted […]

Gasteig HP8

Free

Germany, Ukraine

90 Min.

No matter what religion – we are all human beings. This film deals with violence, inequality, and power, which I find incredibly disturbing. Through this film, I want to draw attention to the issue. It’s important to me to make the audience think. I’m looking forward to discussing the film and its themes with the […]

Gasteig HP8

Free

Iran, United States of America

116 Min.

This year, I want to present the film My Name is Hand by director Khadem Hussain Behnam. I chose this film because I find the theme very interesting. The hand is the focus: what can you do with a hand? Something good or something bad… The director released this film in Germany this year. – […]

Afghanistan, Germany

4 Min.

The film “Bad Dreams” was directed by a young filmmaker from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Arnold Ghazaryan (born in 2001), shortly after the 44-day war in 2020. Despite the constant fear for their lives and the psychological terror caused by the blockade—which cut 120,000 Armenians off from the outside world for nearly 10 months and triggered a […]

Armenia

9 Min.

How can one live normally without war – and how can one live during war? This film is based on a true story. It tells the story of a family that lived through the war in Yemen. The parents try to provide a normal life for their children despite the ongoing conflict. But unfortunately, it’s […]

Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen

91 Min.

The film portrays our life in Germany. It’s true that we never want to go back, but still, we miss our homeland. That’s what homesickness means to us. Home is not just a country—it’s also our house, our belongings, our friends, and our family.

Bellevue di Monaco

Free

Germany

9 Min.

Lingua Franca tells the story of a marriage of convenience—a strategy used to obtain legal residency in the United States or Europe. Faced with rigid immigration laws, many migrants struggle to secure their livelihoods and escape postcolonial power structures. At the same time, a market for sham marriages is thriving, leaving individuals vulnerable to abuse […]

Bellevue di Monaco

Free

Philippines, United States of America

89 Min.

Impressions 2023

Our Team 2023

Aseel

Zakaria

Hadiza

Mohammed M.

Ibrahim Hatahet

Shamila

Monica

Yahya

Mo

Venues 2023

+++ BREAKING NEWS +++
Neue Kurator*innen gesucht!
Jetzt mitmachen!
KINO ASYL 2025 Loading
+++ BREAKING NEWS +++
Neue Kurator*innen gesucht!
Jetzt mitmachen!
KINO ASYL 2025 Loading
+++ BREAKING NEWS +++
Neue Kurator*innen gesucht!
Jetzt mitmachen!
KINO ASYL 2025 Loading