ifs-Begegnung mit »Die Kinder aus Korntal«

In the organizer's words:

ON THE BIG SCREEN:

"The children from Korntal"
(Documentary film, Germany 2023, 90 min., FSK 12, written, directed, edited by Julia Charakter)

Followed by a film discussion with screenwriter and director Julia Charakter, moderated by Prof. Hajo Schomerus (ifs)

Korntal, a tranquil small town in Baden-Württemberg, becomes the scene of one of the biggest abuse scandals in the Protestant Church in Germany. From the 1950s onwards, hundreds of children were abused in the local homes of the Pietist Brethren congregation and had to endure forced labour, corporal punishment and sexualized violence. The scandal became public in 2013. To date, more than 150 former children have broken their silence and more than 80 perpetrators have been identified. The small community of Korntal initially reacted to the allegations with doubt and rejection. Many of those affected describe the process of coming to terms with the abuse as abuse after abuse. They continue to fight for a hearing, recognition, respect and dignity.

"Die Kinder aus Korntal" was awarded the DEFA Prize and was nominated for the Goethe-Institut Documentary Film Prize and the VER.DI Prize for Solidarity, Humanity and Fairness. It was supported by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW.
"Through precise research by the filmmaker and the harrowing testimonies of the protagonists, the film succeeds in tracing the complex picture of a systemic and never-ending abuse. The silence has been broken," was the verdict of the DEFA Award jury.

After studying media studies, Julia Charakter studied screenwriting at the ifs International Film School Cologne. In 2020, she attended the ifs Masterclass Non-Fiction, where she developed "Die Kinder aus Korntal". Julia Charakter lives and works as a director, screenwriter and dramaturge in Cologne.