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Monday, March 23, 2026
Across Borders 2026: A Successful Collaboration for Dialogue, Solidarity and Diversity.
The Across Borders – International Film Series Hannover 2026 was successfully held from 25 February to 18 March, bringing together diverse audiences, partners, and communities for weeks of film, dialogue, and solidarity.
In a world shaped by conflict, war, and injustice, the series created a space where cinema became a tool for reflection, intercultural exchange, and the search for peace, reconciliation, and justice. The programme took audiences on cinematic journeys to Brazil, Sudan, Venezuela, Palestine, Malawi, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia, and Colombia, highlighting stories of resilience, coexistence, and human dignity while promoting peace in such a fragmented world.
The festival strongly promoted dialogue, solidarity, and multicultural understanding through film discussions, networking sessions, and exchanges with directors and participants. The overall success of the series was made possible through excellent coordination among partners during the planning, development, and implementation phases, demonstrating the strength of collaboration in building inclusive, people-centred spaces.
Umodzi wa a Malawi in Germany e.V. was proudly represented by Mada D. Nkhoma, contributing to the spirit of dialogue and solidarity. In close coordination with Friends of Malawi and City Partnership Hannover-Blantyre e.V., The Gunless Soldier, a Malawian film directed by Joyce Mhango Chavula, was screened on a big cinema screen. Previously, The Road to Sunrise by Charles Shemu was also screened under similar partnerships. The festival proved that the future lies in diversity, shared responsibility, and the willingness to coexist and learn from one another across borders.
Mada & Lusubilo, members of Umodzi wa a Malawi in Germany e.V. socialising after the Gunless Soldier screening.
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The film festival series is a joint event of Ev.-luth. Missionswerk in Niedersachsen, Freundeskreis Malawi, German-African Association for Knowledge and Technology Transfer e.V. (GAAKT), Land der zwei Nile, Niedersachsen Global, Palästina Initiative, Südamerika-Zentrum Hannover e.V., Umodzi wa a Malawi in Germany e.V. and Verein Niedersächsische Bildungsinitiativen e.V.
Funded by Niedersächsische Bingo-Umweltstiftung, Land Niedersachsen, Engagement Global mit Mitteln des BMZ (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development).
