AMRUM by Fatih Akin to World Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival

We're thrilled to announce that AMRUM, the latest film by Fatih Akin, will celebrate its World Premiere at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival - screening in the prestigious Cannes Premieres section. This deeply poignant drama draws on the childhood memories of acclaimed German filmmaker Hark Bohm, Akin’s longtime friend and mentor.

The story unfolds on the island of Amrum, in the North Sea, in spring 1945: In the final days of the war, 12-year-old Nanning braves the treacherous sea to hunt seals, goes fishing at night, and works the nearby farm to help his mother feed the family. Despite the hardship, life on the beautiful, windswept island almost feels like paradise. But when peace finally comes, it reveals a deeper threat: the enemy is far closer than he imagined. 

The leading role is played by 12-year old discovery Jasper Billerbeck and the cast includes Laura Tonke (AEIOU, The People vs Fritz Bauer), Lisa Hagmeister (System Crasher), Matthias Schweighöfer (Army of the Dead) and Diane Kruger (In The Fade, Inglourious Basterds).

Fatih Akin is an acclaimed German filmmaker known for his impactful international work. He gained global recognition with Head-On (2004), which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. His follow-up, The Edge of Heaven (2007), earned the Best Screenplay award at Cannes, as well as the European Film Award and German Film Award.

In 2017, In the Fade premiered at Cannes, and Diane Kruger won the Best Actress Award; the film later also received a Golden Globe. Akin’s 2022 film Rheingold was a major box-office success in Germany.

For Amrum (2025), he is reuniting with Diane Kruger and has cast Jasper Billerbeck, a 12-year old boy and stunning discovery in a very personal story and hommage to German film-maker Hark Bohm, a close friend and mentor to Fatih Akin.

Screening times will be communicated in the end of April.