Gefängnisfilme extd.

Kunstraum is hosting a series of film screenings dedicated to the theme of prisons, the institution and its practices, forms of criminalization, gender issues, and the role of theater in prison. Classics will be shown, such as Robert Bresson’s “A Man Escaped” (1956); “Verriegelte Zeit” (1991), a film by Sybille Schönemann about her imprisonment in the GDR; “Cäsar muss sterben” (2012), a film in which prisoners stage a Shakespeare play; “For Akheem” (2017), a long-term documentary about the early criminalization of youth of color in the US; and last but not least, homosexuality in prison is the focus of “Große Freiheit” (2021), a feature film about the infamous Paragraph 175 in post-war Germany.

The films will be shown on Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m. at Kunstraum (see below for a more detailed program).

Sing Sing (2023), a film that also revolves around theater in prison, will be shown at the Unikino cinema on January 6, 2026, at 8:00 p.m.

The films will be shown in their original language with German subtitles. Admission is free.

The screenings are part of the seminar “Prison in Art, Film, and Cultural History.” All students are welcome to attend!

Dec 2, 2025 6pm For Akheem (2017)

Directed by Jeremy Levine and Landon Van Soest, 98 minutes

This documentary tells the story of 17-year-old Daje Shelton, who is transferred to a school where students who have committed crimes are monitored after getting into a fight. Over a period of two years, filmmakers Jeremy S. Levine and Landon Van Soest accompanied the young woman and shed light on the reality of life marked by racism that many Black teenagers in the US share.

Dec 16, 2025 6pm Ein zum Tode Verurteilter ist entflohen (1956) (orig. Un condamné à mort s’est échappé)

Directored by Robert Bresson, 100 minutes

After weeks of tension, an officer in the French resistance against the German occupation regime manages to escape from a prison considered escape-proof. The plot is based on the story of André Devigny, who escaped in 1943 from Fort Montluc prison near Lyon, which had been requisitioned by the Wehrmacht.

Jan 6, 2026 8pm Sing Sing (2023) at Unikino

Directed by Greg Kwedar, 107 minutes

John “Divine G” Whitfield is incarcerated in Sing Sing maximum security prison in New York State for a murder he did not commit. The prison theater is his only ray of hope in his daily prison routine. When newcomer Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin insists on staging a comedy, the group’s creative routine is thrown off balance.

Jan 13, 2026 6pm Große Freiheit (2021)

Directed by Sebastian Meise, 117 minutes

In repressive post-war Germany, Hans is repeatedly imprisoned for his homosexuality. The notorious Paragraph 175 destroys all his hopes of a life in freedom. In prison, he meets Viktor, a convicted murderer. Out of mutual loathing, a love develops between them over the years.

Jan 20, 2026 6pm Verriegelte Zeit (1991)

Directed by Sibylle Schönemann, 94 minutes

In this documentary, Sybille Schönemann comes to terms with her time in prison in the GDR. She visits the places of her past and talks to contemporary witnesses, including former prisoners as well as people who were involved in her trial and imprisonment.

Jan 27, 2026 6pm Cäsar muss sterben (2012) (orig. Cesare deve morire)

Directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, 76 minutes

For six months, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani follow the creation and staging of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in the high-security wing of Rome’s Rebibbia prison. Without delving into the details of the crimes committed by the men, the film draws parallels between the classic drama and today’s world, describing the commitment of all those involved—and how their fears and hopes flow into the production.