Slices of Life – Ethnographic Film Days Berlin

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.