The Moelln Letters

In November 1992, a racist arson attack in Mölln shattered the lives of İbrahim Arslan and his family. At just seven years old, İbrahim survived, but he lost his sister, his cousin and his grandmother. In the aftermath of the attacks, the city received hundreds of letters of solidarity which were ignored for nearly three decades.

Why did public service clerks store the letters into storage rather than making sure the Arslan family would see them when they needed them most? It is but one of the nagging questions that filmmaker Martina Priessner shrewdly explores in the most efficient manner, that is with intelligent presence and observation.

She weaves the film into İbrahim’s poignant journey of discovery and his encounters with three letter writers, as well as the testimonies of his siblings Namik and Yeliz, painting a complex portrait of the lasting trauma that continues to affect them to this day.

The film not only amplifies the perspectives of the survivors but also uncovers the vibrant solidarity that once existed – and of which the victims were previously unaware.

An incredibly moving and illuminating film, The Mölln Letters unsurprisingly won the audience award at Berlinale where it premiered in Panorama Dokumente.

Followed by a Q&A with one of the film's protagonists, Namik Arslan on Sunday 9 November.

Presented in association with Amnesty International.

This film is eligible for the Best Documentary Award/Gradam na Féile do Scannáin Faisnéise.

This screening is supported by the Goethe-Institut Irland.