Without Borders Film Festival 2019

Now in it's seventh year, the festival wants to celebrate the "we" in films that overcome obstacles and borders, say festival organizers Susanne Suermondt and Tanya Berndsen.

In the award-winning British documentary, Voices of the Sea, Mariella, a Cuban woman, asks if "we" even exists as more and more of her friends and neighbors take to boats to flee to the US in search of the American dream. Scheme Birds, a film about Scottish teenager, Gemma, who stands up to hopelessness and violence, also questions societal unity when some people do well for themselves and others live on the fringes.

As befits this year's Bauhaus centennial, the festival kicks off with two episodes of the German TV series New Times, which explores the question how much "we" there was in the early days of Walter Gropuis' new school when different design concepts constantly collided.

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A series of documentaries titled 24h Europe – The Next Generation showcases 60 young protagonists from 26 European countries who speak about their everyday lives and their dreams for the future. They are examples of what makes nations diverse and what unites them.

Documentaries, feature and short films with a focus on the major issues of our times — human rights, human dignity and humanity — have been on the program at the Without Borders Film Festival since 2013 in Bad Saarow, 60 kilometers from Berlin. This year's festival runs from August 29 to September 1. Deutsche Welle is a media partner.