EuroAsia Shorts 2026 | Japan & Germany

Presented by the Japan Information & Culture Center, Embassy of Japan and Goethe-Institut Washington as part of EuroAsia Shorts 2026

The theme for EuroAsia Shorts 2026 is Past/Present/Future. Individuals, communities, cultures, and countries are all constantly journeying from the past, through the present, and into the future. From time to time we pass certain milestones and may reflect on how far we've come—or the unwritten and unimaginable road ahead. Some traditions deserve to be carried forward, while others are best left behind, either for their own sake or to pave the way forward. Regardless, the decisions of today are often driven by our experiences as much as by what we want to become. Touchstones, innovations, nostalgia, trepidation, and aspiration all compete for our fleeting attention. Thus, to balance the past, present, and future without being bound to any one is an eminently human challenge.

Join us in celebrating the 20th anniversary of EAS and the 250th anniversary of the DC-based festival's host nation with a mix of favorite short films from the past two decades and new films that represent a bright new horizon.

The Program for the Japan & Germany Pairing night includes:
Wildnis (The Wild)
In German | 2013| 12 min | Directed by Helena Wittmann
Present-day everyday life and the memory of a past journey unfold simultaneously within enclosed spaces. Confinement and openness, limitation and vitality, dream and reality coexist side by side. Wildnis is a poetic reflection on perception, memory, and the longing for both inner and outer freedom.

You and Me
In German | 2009 | 4 min | Directed by Karsten Krause

Over the course of four decades, a woman walks toward her husband’s camera. This

touching love story is not only a portrait of a family but also a reflection on social change in Germany. At the same time, the evolution of film recording technology becomes subtly visible.

I’m Not the Enemy
In German | 2011 13 min | Directed by Bjørn Melhus
Bjørn Melhus performs all roles himself in this film. The work explores war, trauma, and familial disintegration. The audio layer draws on sound and speech fragments from numerous films that engage with or address war, condensing them into a multilayered reflection on violence, memory, and media representation.

HOMESICK
In Japanese | 2018| 27 min | Directed by KAMURA Koya
Homesick is a short film produced by Toboggan and France with writer/director Koya Kamura. Two years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Murai braves danger and wanders through the no-go zone in order to spend time with Jun, his eight-year-old son.

After the screening there will be light refreshments.
*All films are subtitled in English. All films are not rated and may contain adult language or themes.

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required for security purposes. Program begins at 6:30PM. Doors open 30 minutes prior. No admittance after 7:00 PM or once seating is full. Registered guests will be seated on a first come, first served basis. Please note that seating is limited and registration does not guarantee guests a seat.