Entertainment

‘Trial of Hein,’ Opening Film of Berlinale’s Perspectives Section, Acquired by Heretic (EXCLUSIVE)

January 21, 2026

Jan 21, 2026 6:51am PT ‘Trial of Hein,’ Opening Film of Berlinale’s Perspectives Section, Acquired by Heretic (EXCLUSIVE) By Leo Barraclough Plus Icon Leo Barraclough International Features Editor LeoBarraclough Latest Projects From ‘Apolonia, Apolonia,’ ‘Mr. Nobody Against Putin’ Directors Among Lineup for Financing and Co-Production Event CPH:Forum 6 hours ago Cowboy Launches Sound Post Studio Bridging Los Angeles and Prague 23 hours ago First Hand Films Acquires ‘YO Love Is a Rebellious Bird’ Ahead of World Premiere in Berlinale Competition (EXCLUSIVE) 1 day ago See All Courtesy of Tamtam Film Heretic, the Athens-based film sales house, has acquired Kai Stänicke‘s “Trial of Hein,” the opening film of Berlin Film Festival’s Perspectives, the competitive section for fiction feature debuts. The German distributor is DCM.

Trial of Hein

Credit: Variety

Key Highlights

The film follows Hein, who returns to his home village on a remote island after 14 years away, only to discover that the close-knit community no longer recognizes him.
Suspecting him to be an imposter, they demand a trial to determine his true identity.
Related Stories Netflix's Agatha Christie Adaptation 'Seven Dials' Has Charm but Little Intrigue: TV Review ‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ Review: Ralph Fiennes Commands a Shocking Successor to Last Year's Most Welcome Revival Stänicke, who is also the film’s screenwriter, writes about the film: “ ‘Trial of Hein’ is an intimate exploration of identity and belonging.
Who hasn’t looked back at an earlier version of themselves and been surprised by how much has changed?
Going back home forces us to confront the person we used to be.

Global News Berlin Film Festival Heretic Kai Stänicke

Sources

‘Trial of Hein,’ Opening Film of Berlinale’s Perspectives Section, Acquired by Heretic (EXCLUSIVE)

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‘Trial of Hein,’ Opening Film of Berlinale’s Perspectives Section, Acquired by Heretic (EXCLUSIVE)

Key Highlights

Sources

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