TRIAL OF HEIN (DER HEIMATLOSE) Discovery

Screening to be followed by a conversation with director and screenwriter Kai Stänicke and actor Paul Boche.

German director/writer Kai Stäincke’s impressive debut feature follows the titular Hein, who returns from the mainland to the windswept, fiercely insular island village he left behind as a teenager, determined to reunite with his first love. But after a 14-year absence, the island’s eccentric inhabitants, including his own family, no longer recognize him, and insist he stand trial to prove he is not an imposter. Forced to defend his identity, a surreal community tribunal unfolds, where memory, belonging, and love become matters of public debate. Anchored by a stellar lead performance from Paul Boche and blending wry humor with nuance and sensitivity, Stäincke crafts a fable that feels both timeless and strikingly original. Its carefully composed visuals and playful set design lend the film a storybook quality, while its exploration of queer love, homecoming and self-determination feels wholly modern. THE TRIAL OF HEIN won the Teddy Jury Award for Best LGBTQ feature film at the Berlinale. –Mimi Brody