The Goethe-Institut's annual German film week, KinoFest 2026, will run from 5 November to 31 December in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hai Phong and Hue, Tuổi Trẻ reported. Its eight-film lineup, presented at a press event in Hanoi on 26 October, includes the Golden Bear winner from the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival and a film featuring Tony Leung Chiu-wai, known in Vietnam as Lương Triều Vỹ.
Thái Mai Lan, head of the Goethe-Institut in Ho Chi Minh City, framed this year's programme around one question: how much freedom people have to choose the life they want, and how far those choices are shaped by society. The eight films, she said, explore the answer from different angles.
A Germany beyond the postcard
The Goethe-Institut's representative said the organisers were drawn to films that reflect the complexity of German society rather than a glossy, postcard image of the country, and wanted to give a voice to groups that are rarely discussed or heard. The titles named at the launch:
| Film | What it is about, per the organisers |
|---|---|
| Yellow Letter | Golden Bear for Best Film at the 2026 Berlin festival; follows an artist couple whose family life and career choices are tested by political upheaval |
| Rose | A woman living under a male identity in the 17th century, raising questions of identity |
| Silent Friend | Features Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Léa Seydoux; extends the conversation to the relationship between people and the plant world |
| Ich verstehe Ihren Unmut | Cited by the organisers as giving a voice to groups that are seldom heard |
| The Last Whale Singer | A children's animated film that still touches the festival's central question indirectly |
German cinema tends to be highly realistic and can be hard going for mainstream audiences, Tuổi Trẻ noted, because filmmakers backed by arts funds are not under pure commercial pressure and can explore raw lives and stories rarely seen on screen. Over the past decade, however, it has become more diverse and moved closer to international audiences. This year's lineup ranges from historical drama and social stories to comedy, reflective pieces and animated adventure.
What it offers Vietnamese audiences
This year the organisers are trialling outdoor screenings, where families can picnic, join the crowd on the grass and watch films under the trees or the stars. Thái Mai Lan said that in an age when anyone can stream a film alone at home, KinoFest gives people a chance to sit together, eat popcorn and laugh or cry next to a stranger.
With the festival spread across five cities, including Da Nang, Hai Phong and Hue, and a children's animation in the lineup, families outside Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City also get a chance to see new German films on the big screen.
Actor Thùy Anh, after watching trailers for this year's films, said their visuals made a strong impact and sparked curiosity about the messages behind them, adding that she hoped to see every title in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
What's next
KinoFest 2026 opens on 5 November and runs until 31 December across Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hai Phong and Hue. Alongside the eight films, the organisers are trialling outdoor screenings this year.