The IFFF Dortmund+Köln is a place for cinematic discoveries, hospitality and exchange. This is also reflected in its thematic focus, which addresses crucial issues through film history and across genre boundaries.

With the title Common Land, the focus uses a historical and at the same time utopian concept to present a broad spectrum of cinematic perspectives. The ‘commons’ is communal property; historically, this was farmland, waterways or forests that could be used by the entire village community. The focus questions the capitalist appropriation of land in both a critical and visionary way. The programme shows the inspiring struggles of women for collective land use in Brazil, Kenya and the Caribbean. In these films, ‘common land’ is both a lived practice and political self-empowerment – not only land, but also cultural survival and solidarity in equal communities. Numerous international guests will discuss these issues with the audience: Can we in the cinema become an active community, and what would our commons be?

With films and contributions by Cristina Amaral, Fidel Amousou-Moderan, Annouchka de Andrade, Cheryl Dunye, Camila Freitas, Decolonial Film Festival Paris, Raquel Gerber, Gunda Gottschalk, Barbara Hammer, André Heuzé, Wanjugu Kimathi, Zippy Kimundu, Florence Lazar, Sarah Maldoror, Meena Nanji, Sara Neidorf, Alanis Obomsawin, Katrin Seybold, Simone Sojo, Gabriele Stötzer, Athina Rachel Tsangari, Ute Völker, María Zafra Cortés, and a live online discussion with historian Silvia Federici.

The 43rd IFFF Dortmund+Cologne will take place from April 22 to 26 in Cologne. A total of 83 films from 37 countries will be shown in three competitions, six sections, and many specials. The program will be available online at the end of March, when ticket sales will also begin.

The complete programme will be available online here from the end of March.