Short films by Daniel Asadi Faezi and Mila Zhluktenko

Through documentary footage, archive material, staged scenes and fictionalised narratives, the two filmmakers develop distinctive forms of remembrance and storytelling. In doing so, they trace the traces of the past that have become inscribed in the present – in urban spaces, architecture and landscape – and relate these to the consequences of migration, war and racism. Their works arise from concrete encounters with places and people and do not follow any preconceived notions.

In this special programme, Asadi Faezi and Zhluktenko present three short films and, during a discussion afterwards, also offer insights into their latest work.

Film programme

Waking up in Silence, dir.: Daniel Asadi Faezi, Mila Zhluktenko, Germany 2023, 18’, Ukrainian with English subtitles

The filmmakers accompany refugee children from Ukraine in a former Wehrmacht barracks in Schweinfurt. Through everyday explorations and games, the children’s current reality intertwines with the history of the place.

Looking Back, dir. Daniel Asadi Faezi, Mila Zhluktenko, Germany 2025, 14’, German with English subtitles

The film centres on Munich’s Olympia Shopping Centre (OEZ). Using archive footage, it examines the continuity of exclusion and violence and reflects on how political structures manifest themselves in the collective memory.

Critical Condition, dir.: Mila Zhluktenko, Germany 2025, 24’, Ukrainian with English subtitles

Inspired by the life of the Ukrainian journalist Lev Rebet in the diaspora in Munich, Critical Condition weaves together historical and contemporary perspectives into a poetic reflection on exile and political struggles.

• Followed by a discussion and a work-in-progress presentation

• With Daniel Asadi Faezi and Mila Zhluktenko

• Films in the original language with English subtitles; discussion in German with simultaneous English translation