A still in Afire movie by director Christian Petzold. Photo Goethe Institute

HÀ NỘI — KinoFest 2025 will show ten movies by German and Vietnamese filmmakers in cities and provinces across the nation, exploring the theme 'reimagining family' through drama, comedy and documentary films. The selection considers how family is shaped by care, labour, history and choice.

Through laughter and conflict, comfort and resistance, these films aim to inspire, challenge and transform the way audiences see the world.

Silver Bear – Grand Jury Prize, Berlinale 2023-winning Afire will open the festival in Hà Nội on October 30 at 7.15pm. From writer-director Christian Petzold, Afire follows four young people who convene at a holiday house by the Baltic Sea. Plagued by drought, the surrounding landscape soon begets fires, while inside the house emotions heat up: happiness, lust, love, along with jealousies, resentments and tensions. The movie captures the fragile balance between creativity and desire, humour and melancholy.

Afire also won best screenplay at the German Film Critics Association Awards 2024, and best director and best editing at the German Film Awards 2024.

This year’s films stretch the concept of family beyond traditional definitions, exploring it as something fluid, shaped by context, labour, history and emotion, according to festival curator Lisabona Rahman.

"In today’s world, family is not always personal," said Rahman. "It can be political, uphold systems of control, or become a space for critical thinking, resistance and transformation. The films reflect this complexity. They trace the changing face of family through Germany’s social, ideological and economic histories. Some stories show how rebellion, rather than tradition, can forge tighter family bonds. In these shared acts of defiance, connection is sparked, and community is reimagined."

In the opening show, Afire will be screened together with the documentary Everything Belongs to You. Directed by Mani Pham Bui and Hien Nguyen, the documentary is a deeply personal portrait of a woman who leaves Oslo to return to her hometown of Neustrelitz. She looks back with vulnerability on her childhood and youth, as well as on her acceptance of herself, her identity and her family.

Other films include the award-winning Vena, winner of Deutsche Kinoproduktionen, Filmfest Hamburg 2024; Late Shift, 2025 winner of the German Camera Award at Kino Spielfilm; and the 2025 Golden Anchor Award and Best Film at Haifa International Film Festival.

The only film for children, Niko – Beyond the Northern Lights, will be shown at 2pm on November 2. It is a heartwarming animated adventure about a young reindeer who dreams of joining Santa’s Flying Forces.

All the movies have English and Vietnamese subtitles. There will be a Q&A session after evening shows with participation from Vietnamese filmmakers and film critics.

KinoFest 2025 was held in HCM City from October 21 to 27. It will take place at Hà Nội’s National Cinema Centre (NCC) from October 30 to November 2.

This year, the festival will also take place in Bắc Ninh, Huế, Đà Nẵng, Cần Thơ and Đà Lạt as part of a series of activities celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and Germany.

Tickets are available at NCC, 87 Láng Hạ Street. — VNS