HIQFF@school - QUEER Education
Now in its 8th year, our school program at the 36th Hamburg International Queer Film Festival is a matter close to our hearts.
Queer films for the next generation
This year, the HIQFF school program once again offers teachers and other school professionals a great opportunity to address topics related to sexual and gender diversity in the classroom and in everyday school life. During the festival, Hamburg schoolchildren can experience age-appropriate LGBTIQ* stories on the big screen together with their classes and then talk to guests about the films and their themes. Our aim is to counteract the queer hostility that also exists in schools and to inform and empower children and young people.
The school program is supported by the Diversity Working Group of the State Institute for Qualification and Quality Development in Schools and the school education project soorum of the Magnus-Hirschfeld-Centrums.
Dates:
- ZEČJI NASIP (WALLS OF SAND) on Wednesday, October 15, at 11 a.m. at the Metropolis Cinema
- WHEN YOU ARE AFRAID, YOU TAKE YOUR HEART IN YOUR MOUTH AND SMILE on Thursday, October 16 at 11 a.m. at Metropolis Cinema (guests: director)
Thanks to generous financial support from Hamburg Pride, we are able to offer the school program free of charge this year.
Registration and further information on specific dates will be available in September at: schule@hiqff.de
ZEČJI NASIP (WALLS OF SAND)
Čejen Černić Čanak, Croatia 2025, 88', Croatian original version with German subtitles
Date: Wednesday, October 15, at 11 a.m. at the Metropolis Cinema
Marco has just turned 18. He has a girlfriend, is popular at school, and is a loving big brother. In the remote village somewhere in Croatia, his life seems perfect on the outside. But with the return of Slaven, who reappears in the village after the death of his father, everything begins to change. An old love reignites – which is difficult to hide in the close-knit village community. Soon, Marco's mother becomes suspicious. The situation finally comes to a head at the village's traditional arm wrestling tournament, forcing Marco to make a decision for himself.
Themes: Homosexuality, village life, first love, outing, masculinity, queerphobia
Recommended for ages 10 and up.
Followed by a discussion with guests about the film (requested)
WHEN YOU ARE AFRAID, YOU TAKE YOUR HEART IN YOUR MOUTH AND SMILE
Marie Luise Lehner, Austria 2025, 87', original version in German, English, and sign language with German subtitles
Date: Thursday, October 16 at 11 a.m. at Metropolis Cinema.
Anna is 12 when she starts at a new school. She quickly notices that her classmates are different: they wear different clothes, have cell phones, and go to the gym. Anna, on the other hand, lives in a less affluent neighborhood and shares a bed with her deaf mother. She has to skip the school ski trip because her family can't afford it. Ashamed of her family and background, Anna tries to fit in. When she slowly befriends Mara, Anna realizes that she may not be the only one growing up “different.”
Themes: Puberty, being “different,” class differences, belonging, friendship, queerness, gender identity, deafness, abortion
Recommended for grades 7 to 9.
Followed by a discussion with director Marie Luise Lehner and possibly other guests
