Stories of Freedom: Explore the Program

What does freedom mean — and who is fighting for it around the world? Few questions feel more urgent. Stories of Freedom, part of Berlin Freedom Week and the Straße der Demokratie, approaches these questions with cinematic depth and emotional force.

The full programme is now online — a panoramic look at global struggles and movements that inspire, unsettle, and ignite conversation. International documentaries and feature films tell stories of protest and oppression, of resilience and transformation. They portray individuals who stand up to authoritarian regimes and communities that fight for a better future despite violence and persecution.

Highlights include encounters with activists such as Roya Mahboob, founder of the Afghan Robotics Team, and Masih Alinejad, whose campaign against compulsory hijab has inspired millions. Post-screening discussions with experts and activists provide space to go deeper — to debate, to question, and to imagine new possibilities.

A free virtual reality installation and a photo exhibition in the foyer offer fresh perspectives on freedom, resistance, and solidarity. Stories of Freedom is more than a film programme — it’s a testament to the power of collective resistance and a celebration of the enduring human demand for liberty.

Stories of Freedom is organised by Starlounge in partnership with Berlin WorX, supported by Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg, Heinrich Böll Stiftung and Bezirksamt Pankow and curated by The Good Media Network/Doxumentale in partnership with One World International Human Rights Film Festival. It is part of the programme of Berlin Freedom Week and Straße der Demokratie.

1.30pm – Rule Breakers
Bill Guttentag | US | 2025 | 120 min
In a nation where educating girls is rebellion, one woman’s courage sparks a movement for change. (Fiction)
Partner: hawar.help

2pm – Streets Loud with Echoes
Katerina Suvorova | 2024 | 95 min
After the murder of an Olympic champion, protests erupt in Kazakhstan. Two activists risk everything.
Partner: People in Need

4.30pm – Be My Voice
Nahid Persson | 2021 | 83 min
Masih Alinejad amplifies millions of Iranian women’s fight against forced hijab, leading a bold resistance exile even as the regime targets her family.

4.50pm – Scars of a Putsch
Nathalie Borgers | 2025 | 102 min
A historical journey through decades of political violence in Turkey – and the democratic movements that continue to resist.

7pm – Kherson: Human Safari
Zarina Zabrisky | 2025 | 72 min
In Ukraine’s most dangerous city, resilience rises amid invasion, floods, and fire.
Partner: Be an Angel

7.20pm – Hambre
Joanna Nelson | 2024 | 110 min
In a country on the brink, two men must decide whether to stay and fight or leave everything behind. (Fiction) 
Partner: Transparency International

10pm – Hacking Hate
Simon Klose | 2024 | 87 min
An undercover investigation into far-right online spaces – a gripping exposé of hate, power, and profit.