Sprachenrechte, Demokratie, Menschenrechte | Filmvorführung «650 Wörter/Kelime/Words» Do 08 Okt 2026

Language Rights – Democracy – Human Rights

Film & Discussion

Family reunification is currently suspended in Germany. Once it becomes possible again, passing the Goethe-Institut’s “Start Deutsch 1” language exam will be a prerequisite.  The exam requires proficiency in an active vocabulary of 300 words and a passive vocabulary of 650 words.

Through a series of interviews, filmmaker Martina Priessner’s film tells the stories of eight people from different regions of Turkey—all of whom want nothing more than to live with their partners in Germany again. As the interviewees talk about their lives—how they met their partners, what dreams they have of living together with their families in Germany—they build utopian visions and share their losses; narratives emerge that also reflect the complicated relationship between the two countries.

The screening will be followed by a discussion with Martina Priessner ( documentary filmmaker), Sabine Stallbaum (AWO Bielefeld District Association), and Alla Korol ( AWO Bielefeld District Association). 

Martina Priessner is a filmmaker and writer based in Berlin. Her documentaries explore migration policies, racism, and the struggle against forgetting, and have premiered at the Berlinale and DOK Leipzig, among other festivals. For her work, she has received the Panorama Audience Award, the Amnesty Film Award, the Goethe-Institut Documentary Film Award, and the Roman Brodmann Prize.

Sabine Stallbaum has been working for the AWO Bielefeld District Association (AWO Kreisverband Bielefeld e.V.) for 30 years, promoting German language skills and integration for adult immigrants. Her work focuses on job-related German/German in the workplace and integration management in businesses, institutions, and companies. Since 2011, she has been working on projects within the “Integration through Qualification” (IQ) funding program. She currently leads the project “Klartext im Betrieb,” which offers programs on the topics of “Personal Values and Corporate Values / Dialogue on Values” and “Critical Media Literacy.”

Alla Korol has been working in the field of German language instruction for adult immigrants since 2008. After completing her degrees in Belarus and Germany in German Studies and German as a Foreign Language, she worked as a freelance lecturer and trainer in the areas of job-related language support, literacy, and language awareness. Since 2013, she has been active in the “Integration through Qualification” (IQ) support program. She currently works as a project staff member on the “Klartext im Betrieb” project at the AWO Kreisverband Bielefeld e.V. There, she is responsible for planning and implementing needs-based initiatives such as awareness-raising events and workshops on topics like dialogue on values, critical media literacy, and more.

650 Words (Film, 2015, 46 minutes)

Following the event, Café Historias invites you to continue the discussion in a cozy atmosphere.

The event is part of the series “Language Rights – Democracy – Human Rights” 

Languages are the foundation of communication and participation. However, they can also be exploited for the opposite purpose: to exclude others and as a tool of power. This event series aims to raise awareness that human rights and democracy are also based on the acceptance and respect of all people, with all their languages. The following questions serve as a common thread throughout the events:

• What role does the treatment of languages play in the development of our democracy?
• What is the state of linguistic justice, particularly in the education system, and how should language rights be structured there?
• How can we help shape our society to be multilingual?

The final event in the series will take place on October 15, 2026.