email print share on Facebook share on Twitter share on LinkedIn share on reddit pin on Pinterest

PRODUCTION / FUNDING Germany

EXCLUSIVE: Poster and trailer for Berlinale Panorama title The Moelln Letters

by 

- Martina Priessner’s documentary tells the stories of the victims and survivors of the racist arson attacks in Mölln in 1992

EXCLUSIVE: Poster and trailer for Berlinale Panorama title The Moelln Letters
The Moelln Letters by Martina Priessner

Writer-director Martina Priessner’s latest documentary, The Moelln Letters [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
, is slated to premiere in the Panorama section of the upcoming Berlinale (13-23 February – see the news).

The new feature helmed by the award-winning filmmaker tells the stories of the victims and survivors of the racist arson attacks in Mölln in 1992. In particular, it aims to bring forth “a new perspective on remembrance” while “amplifying the voices of survivors and victims, and uncovering the hidden solidarity they were unaware of for years”.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)
focusfeatures_conclave_Internal_Cathy

Priessner studied Social and Cultural Sciences at Humboldt University in Berlin and works as an independent filmmaker. Her documentary debut, Based Down South, premiered in the National Competition of DOK Leipzig in 2010 and was nominated for the Grimme Prize in 2011.

During her five-year stay in Istanbul, Priessner created the found-footage film Everyday I’m Capuling (2013), which focused on the Gezi Park protests in Istanbul. As an IPC-Mercator fellow, she also produced the film 650 Wörter (2015), exploring themes of migration and language.

Finally, her documentary The Guardian, developed with the support of BKM, also premiered at DOK Leipzig in 2020, where it was awarded the Goethe-Institut Documentary Film Prize.

The events in Mölln marked the first racist attack in reunified Germany, claiming the lives of three people: ten-year-old Yeliz Arslan, 14-year-old Ayşe Yılmaz and 51-year-old Bahide Arslan, who died trying to save the two girls. Before succumbing to the flames, Bahide managed to rescue her seven-year-old grandson, İbrahim Arslan, by wrapping him in wet cloths. Many others were injured. İbrahim survived but lost his sister, cousin and grandmother in the tragedy. In the aftermath, the city received hundreds of letters of solidarity that remained unnoticed for decades. Interwoven with İbrahim's poignant journey of rediscovery and his encounters with three of the letter writers, these long-forgotten messages form a powerful visual bridge between past and present.

The film follows İbrahim and his siblings, offering a complex portrayal of the lasting trauma that continues to shape their lives. While İbrahim has channelled his pain into fighting racism and advocating for victims, his brother Namık still struggles with the scars of the past.

The Moelln Letters is being produced by German outfit inselfilm produktion, and is supported by BKM and Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg. New Docs is in charge of the feature’s international sales. The German theatrical release is scheduled for early autumn 2025, courtesy of Real Fiction.

Check out our exclusive poster and trailer below:

Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.

Privacy Policy