Slices of Life – Ethnographic Film Days Berlin
Two days of ethnographic film festival at the Dahlem Research Campus – restitution, provenance, and decolonial approaches in transcultural collaboration
About Slices of Life Berlin
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A Film Festival That Questions Museum Work
Since moving into the Humboldt Forum (2021/22), the Ethnological Museum in Berlin has been a focal point of the international restitution and provenance debate. The collections housed here – including the famous Benin Bronzes, many objects acquired during the colonial era – are the subject of intensive discussions with origin communities. The film festival Slices of Life revolves around precisely these questions.
The 2026 Programme
Eight ethnographic films from Nepal, Congo, Sudan, Fiji, Grenada, Brazil, and Nigeria form the core program. In addition, there are three films on current cooperation projects of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. All screenings are provided with English subtitles. After each film: Q&A with the filmmakers or involved scientists.
Panel and Book Presentation
A panel discussion in English addresses the interface between ethnographic film and museum practice. In addition, the collected volume 'Shared Histories: Collaboration in Ethnographic Film' will be presented, a central current work on the topic of collaborative ethnographic filmmaking.
Dahlem as a Research Location
The Dahlem Research Campus in Berlin-Steglitz-Zehlendorf is the second location of the Ethnological Museum, alongside the Humboldt Forum. The collections, restoration workshops, and scientific work are concentrated here. The film festival takes place in the auditorium – a place primarily familiar to specialist audiences, which invites a broader public once a year.
GIEFF e.V. as Co-Organizer
GIEFF e.V. – German International Ethnographic Film Festival – is an association founded in Göttingen that promotes ethnographic film in Germany. The cooperation with the Ethnological Museum Berlin gives the festival in Berlin a special connection to museum practice and the restitution debate.
Slices of Life Berlin — edition 2026
The ethnographic film festival Slices of Life opens on Monday, May 18, 2026, and runs until Tuesday, May 19, with a packed program in the auditorium of the Dahlem Research Campus. Eight films from four continents address issues of material and immaterial cultural heritage – restitution, provenance, decolonial collaboration.
The filmmakers travel from Nepal, Congo, Sudan, Fiji, Grenada, Brazil, and Nigeria or join via video link. After each screening: Q&A with filmmakers, scientists, or representatives of the origin communities. A panel discussion in English reflects on the interface between ethnographic film and museum practice.
Programme Slices of Life Berlin 2026
Monday, May 18, 2026 – Day 1
- Morning/Afternoon – Welcome, first film blocks (3–4 ethnographic films)
- Film discussions after each block with filmmakers / scientists
- Afternoon/Evening – More films, breaks with catering
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 – Day 2
- Morning – Film block 4–5: Examples from Brazil, Nigeria, Fiji
- Afternoon – Films on cooperation projects of the SMB
- Late Afternoon – Panel discussion (English) on the interface of film/museum/restitution
- Evening – Book presentation 'Shared Histories: Collaboration in Ethnographic Film'
- Closing reception in the foyer
The detailed program with film titles, filmmaker names, and times will be published shortly before the festival on smb.museum (download PDF).
Highlights Slices of Life Berlin 2026
- 8 ethnographic films from 4 continents
- 3 films on current cooperation projects of the SMB
- Focus on restitution, provenance, decolonial approaches
- Panel discussion in English
- Book presentation 'Shared Histories: Collaboration in Ethnographic Film'
- Organized by the Ethnological Museum Berlin and GIEFF e.V.
Prices Slices of Life Berlin 2026
Practical information — Slices of Life Berlin
Getting There
Subway U3 Dahlem-Dorf or Bus X11/X83 to Lansstraße/Im Winkel. Dahlem Research Campus approx. 5 minutes on foot. By car: Parking available on surrounding residential streets.
Admission
€10 per day. Tickets on-site or online via the SMB event page.
Language
Films with English subtitles. Panel discussion and some film talks in English.
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Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Slices of Life Berlin al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
Where it takes place Slices of Life Berlin
Forschungscampus Dahlem – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Lansstraße 8, 14195 Berlin