FilmFest Emden-Norderney: Trial of Hein

After fourteen years on the mainland, Hein returns to his native Wadden Sea island, but the welcome he receives is anything but warm. No one in the fishing community recognizes him, and even his once-inseparable childhood friend Friedemann turns his back on him. The village council convenes to verify his identity, yet Hein’s recollections clash with those of the islanders, and suspicion only deepens. Hein must be an impostor; there seems to be no other explanation. Trial of Hein unfolds as a thriller that gets under your skin. When do you become "one of us," and how do you prove it? Featuring a minimalist soundtrack, this mysterious drama challenges the "us-versus-them" mentality while skillfully utilizing the natural light of the German island of Norderney. It also features as striking, theatrical production design, that touches on the spirit of Lars von Trier's Dogville.

Trial of Hein marks the impressive debut of director Kai Stänicke, who also wrote the script. It premiered earlier this year at the 76th Berlinale, where it won the Jury Prize as the opening film of the Perspectives-program. The screening at the Noordelijk Film Festival marks the film's Dutch premiere, and is presented in collaboration with Internationales Filmfest Emden-Norderney.

After the screening on Thursday, producers Dirk Decker and Andrea Schütte (TamTam Film) will be present for a conversation about the remarkable proces of making this film on the German Wadden island. Edzard Wagenaar, festival director of FilmFest Emden-Norderney, will welcome us to the screening.