Monthly Screenings

Initiated in May 2011, with the presentation of the documentary Restrepo in remembrance of war journalist & photographer Tim Hetherington - killed in April 2011 while reporting the conflicts in Misrata and Libya – the Monthly Screenings Project fulfils the Foundation's mission of furthering worldwide peace through the support of cinematographic works.

Since then, the Cinema for Peace Foundation has held screenings in Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Vienna, London, Barcelona as well as in Africa, Israel and Palestine. We believe that it is not only important to simply screen a film but also to follow each screening with a discussion. Experts and organisations related to the respective subject of the films are often invited.

In order to inform and educate communities around the world, such films are supported and made widely accessible through the Foundation in an effort to raise awareness about global issues.

All of our screenings are free and open to the public.

Initiated and first presented by former Russian President and long-time Cinema for Peace supporter Mikhail Gorbachev in Berlin, Germany in November 2009 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Cinema for Peace School Film Screenings project aims to inspire and deepen students’ critical engagement, broaden their horizons, and facilitate discussions on various challenging topics.

This is accomplished by offering schools and students the chance to engage in private or public screenings of carefully selected short films, feature films, or documentaries on relevant humanitarian, political, and environmental topics. These screenings are followed by panel discussions with experts and filmmakers. Additionally, students are given the opportunity to participate in film workshops and short film competitions.

The Genocide Film Library is a vital addition to the existing oral history materials on Bosnia-Herzegovina, specifically covering the events of the 1992-1995 conflict. It serves as a crucial resource for scholars, educators, students, curators, researchers, NGO activists, and filmmakers.

This Library is not only for the citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina but is also a project with a global impact.

The Cinema for Peace Foundation began its operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2011, establishing an office dedicated to creating the Genocide Film Library.

Inspired by the University of Southern California’s Shoah Foundation Institute, founded by Steven Spielberg, the Genocide Film Library compiles over 1,300 audiovisual testimonies from survivors of the Srebrenica genocide into a freely accessible online archive.

Fighting AIDS with Stefanie Sycholt's movie "Themba – A Boy Called Hope"

Since the release of Stefanie Sycholt's award-winning film "THEMBA - A Boy Called Hope," the Cinema for Peace Foundation has been actively promoting it through their own screenings and by supporting screening tours in South Africa and Zambia.

"THEMBA" tells the story of a South African boy aspiring to become a football player despite a devastating revelation: both he and his mother are infected with HIV. More than just a soccer film, "THEMBA" delivers a universal message of hope. This inspiring and entertaining movie serves as a powerful tool in the fight against HIV/AIDS in South Africa, where over 10% of the population is infected, yet discussing the infection remains taboo.

“THEMBA tells my story. My mother got HIV from her new boyfriend who came from the Eastern Cape. She got very sick and told me it was TB. [...] I asked her if she had an HIV test at the clinic. She said she didn’t have HIV. [...] When my mother died, someone phoned from the Eastern Cape and told me that she and her boyfriend both had AIDS. I wish she had told me she had HIV. I wanted to tell her that I loved her, and that I did not care if she had HIV. [...] Please let other children see this film. Please let people like my mother see this film.” - Zanele, age 17, Mbekweni Community, Paarl.

Since October 2010, THEMBA has been screened in over 95 rural and semi-rural communities, reaching nearly 12,500 people. These screenings, followed by discussions, have taken place across various areas in South Africa, primarily targeting young people to help break the stigma and stereotypes associated with HIV/AIDS.

Children from South Africa have sent numerous enthusiastic “thank you” letters to the Cinema for Peace Foundation after watching THEMBA.

The goal is to continue supporting and raising funds for this campaign to ensure the movie THEMBA and its message of hope and understanding about the highly taboo subject of AIDS reaches as many young people in South Africa as possible.

The Cinema for Peace Foundation is currently negotiating with its established South African partners for a new THEMBA screening tour in rural areas across South Africa. This tour aims to reach new audiences, building on the success of the previous tours in 2010 and 2011. For more information on the tours, please read the project background below.

Additionally, we are working on securing new partners for tours and repeated educational screenings in several other countries, including Switzerland, Uganda, Mali, and Nigeria.