Qatar Germany 2017 Year of Culture launched its program with cultural, educational and social activities at the beginning of 2017 and is organized by the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region and the German Embassy in Doha in cooperation with Qatar Museums. Qatar Germany 2017 Year of Culture is an initiative to foster and celebrate the bond between Qatar and Germany. The wide and diverse programs during the year involve various high profile organizations like the Qatar National Library, Doha Film Institute, Katara Cultural Village Foundation and the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.

The year-long program addresses the Qatari society with a combination of exhibitions, competitions and events designed to illustrate the relationship between Qatar and the Federal Republic of Germany, and there are many more attractive events coming up during the last quarter of the year.

Happening now: As part of the Year of Culture, the Doha Film Institute has launched a series of four Practical Labs by expert professionals on various aspects of film production including lighting, grip and editing cinematography. This program will help boost young film talent in the country and is being supported by Qatar Museums, the German Embassy and Goethe-Institut Gulf Region in collaboration with Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, one of the leading international film and media schools. Renowned film experts will be sharing their experience and knowledge with lessons in different areas of the film production process to a budding group of talented individuals in Qatar. It will be an ideal platform to learn from the gurus while honing one’s own skills. Doha Schools are furthermore invited to join a special school screening of student short films of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg with German film maker Thorsten Schütte on 28 September 2017. And on 26 September 2017 a very special film concert of the German film classic “Metropolis” by Fritz Lang from 1926 takes place at Katara Opera House in cooperation with Doha Film Institute and Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.

Two distinct and remarkable exhibitions are coming to Qatar this Autumn as major highlights of the Qatar Germany 2017 Year of Culture. Driven by German Design, developed in close partnership with the Volkswagen Group, will open at Al Riwaq Gallery in October 2017 and trace the evolution of German design over more than six decades. Deutsche Bank, which has built up one of the world’s most important corporate collections of contemporary art, will simultaneously present German Encounters – Contemporary Masterworks from the Deutsche Bank Collection at the Fire Station’s Garage Gallery. Both exhibitions are supported by the German Federal Foreign Office.

For the complete list of ongoing events visit: www.goethe.de/qatargermayn2017