Out on Film 2026 - Trial of Hein

From the venue:

After 14 years on the mainland, Hein returns to the only village on a remote North Sea island. To his astonishment, the close-knit community no longer recognizes him. Even his childhood friend Friedemann keeps his distance despite their once-unbreakable bond. Suspicious of the outsider, the villagers convene a court to determine whether Hein truly is the person he claims to be.

As the trial unfolds, contradictions accumulate. Hein’s memories of his youth differ sharply from the testimony of those who remained behind, and the village’s suspicion gradually hardens into open hostility. On the verge of losing everything, Hein desperately searches for proof that will validate his memories—only to confront what he has long refused to see. Winner of the Teddy Jury Award at the 2026 Berlinale, Trial of Hein is a haunting allegory of memory, identity, belonging and the roles we play to survive.