Trial of Hein (KINO)
故鄉異客 (KINO)
- Released
- 27 Sep 2026
- Runtime
- 122 min
- Original title
- Der Heimatlose
- Language
- de
The verdict
There are not yet enough audience votes to give this a reliable score. It is not currently playing in Hong Kong cinemas. 122 minutes.
What it is about
After fourteen years away, Hein returns to his remote North Sea island home, only to discover that the close knit community no longer recognises him. Even his childhood friend keeps his distance, and convinced he is an impostor, the villagers convene a court to determine his true identity. As his memories contradict every witness's account, suspicion curdles into open hostility, forcing Hein to confront what he has long refused to see. The debut feature of director Kai Stänicke, whose screenplay draws on his own coming out experience, probes how memory and identity are shaped and distorted. World premiere opening the Perspectives programme at the 2026 Berlinale.
What to expect
Hein walks back onto a North Sea island he left fourteen years ago, and the place treats him like a stranger. His childhood friend keeps his distance; the villagers convene a makeshift court to settle whether he is an impostor. Every memory Hein offers is contradicted by a witness. Director Kai Stänicke, in his debut feature, draws on his own coming-out experience to build a story about how a community's refusal to see you can start to rewrite who you are. The movie is in German with English and Chinese subtitles, runs 122 minutes, and opens in Hong Kong on 27 September as a single-screen KINO engagement — expect it at one or two art-house venues, not in IMAX or large formats. The tone is quiet and procedural rather than explosive, and the length demands patience; there is no graphic content, but younger children are unlikely to stay with it.
Cast
- Paul Boche Hein
- Stephanie Amarell Heide
- Philip Froissant Friedemann
- Emilia Schüle Greta
- Jeanette Hain Jorinde
- Zhenja Isaak Bernhard
- Aaron Hilmer Volker
- Andreas Nickl Fiete
- Maju Margrit Sartorius Annegret
- Philip Günsch
- Emil Hauss Hein (Teenager)
- Frederick Lepthien Hein (10 years old)
- Emilia Packard Greta (Teenager)
- Irene Kleinschmidt Mechthild
- Lena Maria Eikenbusch Mechthild 2
Crew
- Director Kai Stänicke
- Writer Kai Stänicke
- Original Music Composer Damian Scholl
- Director of Photography Florian Mag
- Editor Susanne Ocklitz
- Producer Andrea Schütte
- Producer Dirk Decker
- Producer Dario Suter
Common questions
- How long is the movie?
- 122 minutes.
- What language is it in, and are there subtitles?
- German dialogue, with English and Chinese subtitles.
- Is this suitable for children?
- No graphic content, but the quiet, procedural tone and 122-minute runtime mean younger children are unlikely to stay engaged.
- Is it playing in IMAX or other premium formats?
- No. The Hong Kong release is a standard KINO screening, not in IMAX or large-format versions.