What we’re about
Herzlich Willkommen! For those interested in German culture and language, this is the group for you! The Goethe-Institut Chicago is dedicated to promoting German language and culture, and would like to invite all German enthusiasts to join us at our events. There will be a variety of meet up opportunities including a monthly Stammtisch, German Film screenings, soccer match screenings, as well as performance and visual arts events. The goal is to practice German language skills as well as foster an appreciation for German culture, all in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Best of all, you get to meet others who share your passion for all things German!
Upcoming events
8
EUNIC Film Festival
Facets, 1517 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago, IL, USThe EUNIC Film Festival presents “Europe in Motion: Journeys Through Time, Borders, and Identities” at FACETS from November 7-9, 2025, bringing a rich selection of European films to Chicago.
This year’s lineup highlights powerful stories of personal and national transformation, with films delving into topics like resilience in the face of war and displacement, the complexities of migration and identity, intergenerational bonds and human connection, women’s voices challenging tradition, and the fight for justice and truth.
Audiences will journey from post-war Naples to the streets of Berlin and Istanbul, cross the rugged landscapes of the Swiss Alps, and revisit pivotal moments like the Prague Spring of 1968. These diverse stories explore how individuals and nations confront their pasts, redefine themselves, and chart new paths forward, reminding us that cinema can illuminate both the intimate struggles of the heart and the sweeping tides of history.
Presented by EUNIC Chicago, the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Chicago, the Consulate General of Hungary in Chicago, the Consulate General of the Republic of Lithuania in Chicago, the Consulate General of Switzerland in Chicago, Goethe-Institut Chicago, Instituto Cervantes of Chicago, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, and Villa Albertine.
4 attendees
ELLBOGEN (2024)
Facets, 1517 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago, IL, USDir. Aslı Özarslan (Germany/Turkey/France) • 86 min
German with English subtitles
Single Tickets, $7; All-Access Pass, $40Seventeen-year-old Hazal from Berlin has one prominent wish: a chance in life. She is stuck looking for a job and encounters prejudice wherever she goes. On her 18th birthday, all she really wants to do is party. But after a dramatic incident, Hazal has to flee to Istanbul, an unfamiliar city where she must find her way on her own. Adapting an award-winning novel for her fiction debut, German director Aslı Özarslan tells a startling story of an outsider’s fight for recognition and equality.
ABOUT THE EUNIC FILM FESTIVAL
The EUNIC Film Festival presents “Europe in Motion: Journeys Through Time, Borders, and Identities” at FACETS from November 7-9, 2025, bringing a rich selection of European films to Chicago.This year’s lineup highlights powerful stories of personal and national transformation, with films delving into topics like resilience in the face of war and displacement, the complexities of migration and identity, intergenerational bonds and human connection, women’s voices challenging tradition, and the fight for justice and truth.
Audiences will journey from post-war Naples to the streets of Berlin and Istanbul, cross the rugged landscapes of the Swiss Alps, and revisit pivotal moments like the Prague Spring of 1968. These diverse stories explore how individuals and nations confront their pasts, redefine themselves, and chart new paths forward, reminding us that cinema can illuminate both the intimate struggles of the heart and the sweeping tides of history.
Presented by EUNIC Chicago, the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Chicago, the Consulate General of Hungary in Chicago, the Consulate General of the Republic of Lithuania in Chicago, the Consulate General of Switzerland in Chicago, Goethe-Institut Chicago, Instituto Cervantes of Chicago, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, and Villa Albertine.
6 attendees
DIVIDED HEAVEN (1964)
Goethe-Institut Chicago, 150 N Michigan Ave, Suite 420, Chicago, IL, USDir. Konrad Wolf
East Germany, 1964, 109m
Digital format
German with English subtitlesAfter a breakdown, Rita returns to her childhood village in 1961. As she recovers, she remembers the past two years: her love for the chemist Manfred, ten years her senior; how his enthusiasm about his new chemical process turned to bitter disappointment in the face of official rejection; how he escaped to West Berlin a few weeks before the Wall was built and hoped that she would follow him.
Divided Heaven is based on Christa Wolf's internationally renowned novel, which was criticized in the GDR for questioning the construction of the Wall. Produced during a brief cultural thaw in the early 1960s, this film was strongly influenced by the French Nouvelle Vague.
Free and open to the public, please register in advance via Eventbrite and bring a state-issued photo ID for check-in.
9 attendees
Past events
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