The Education of Auma Obama
Conceived by filmmaker Miryam Charles as a “carte blanche” at the invitation of the Goethe-Institut, this film series offers an opportunity to discover new voices in contemporary German cinema, whose works are rarely shown here.
“I conceived this program as an invitation to discover works that bring to light stories and memories long left on the margins. Through documentary, fiction, and experimental film, these films offer unique perspectives on contemporary Germany by exploring the connections between identity, belonging, and memory.
What unites them is their ability to create a dialogue between the personal and collective history. In my own work, I’m interested in those spaces where personal narratives become acts of transmission. By bringing these films together, I hope to share works that shift our perspective and open a space for reflection on the stories that continue to shape our present.” — Miryam Charles
“A sensitive portrait of a woman forging her own path between memory, heritage, and emancipation. A luminous reflection on identity, transmission, and the quiet power of a voice that transforms the way we see.” (Miryam Charles)
Branwen Okpako
Branwen Okpako is a Nigerian-born Welsh German producer, cinematographer, editor, and filmmaker. Born in Lagos, she studied in political science at the University of Bristol and later in film directing at the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin. While in the final year, she produced her maiden short film Dirt for Dinner (2000), about the first black policeman in East Germany. The film won several awards. In 2003, she directed the fiction feature Valley of the Innocent, which had its world premiere at TIFF and was in competition at the Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO). With the success of first two films, she made the documentary film The Education of Auma Obama in 2011, where the film received Audience Choice Award at the Africa International Film Festival. The film is partially based on the early life of former U.S. President Barack Obama, as Okpako is a close friend of Barack's older sister Auma Obama. In 2014, she made a documentary-drama film Curse of Madea about the life of the late German writer Christa Wolf.
Presented in collaboration with
