Fokus announces line-up

Josef Hader as Stefan Zweig in opening film Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe

The full programme announced for Fokus: Films From Germany has been announced, which will run across venues in Scotland from November 23 to January 31, 2018.

It will open with Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe, charting the life of the Austrian Jewish writer during his years in exile (read our interview with director Maria Schrader here) and feature films including sexual abuse drama The Culpable and Doris Dörrie's award-winning Fukushima, Mon Amour.

Taking in themes that range from war, migration, exploitation and exploring perspectives on Europe, all selected films feature protagonists on a search for something, displaying a thirst for life in spite of the sometimes challenging surrounding environments.

Younger audiences, meanwhile, can enjoy Hördur, which tracks a young woman who finds herself consigned to community service at a horse ranch - which offers her an opportunity for change.

This year, the festival has added the Mareel in Shetland as a venue, in addition to Filmhouse, Edinburgh; Glasgow GFT; Dundee Contemporary Arts; Belmont Filmhouse, Aberdeen; Eden Court, Inverness; Ayr Film Society and Bo’ness Hippodrome.

Other films in the line-up include Christian Petzold's post-war drama Phoenix and documentary Brother Jakob, which also screened at Edinburgh Film Festival earlier this year.

The works of Werner Herzog, considered one of the greatest figures in New German Cinema are screened in the retrospective strand. Tying into the ongoing collaboration between Goethe-Institut and Filmhouse presenting their Herzog of the Month screenings. Fokus presents the 1962 short film Herakles, Herzog's first foray into filmmaking as 20-year-old and his debut full- length feature film, the critically acclaimed and Silver Bear winning Signs Of Life, from 1968.

The full list of films screening is below: Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe Marija House without roof Hördur Retrospective: Werner Herzog Phoenix The Culpable Sanctuary Fukushima, Mon Amour Brother Jakob