SYNOPSIS
La Graciosa - Canarian Dreams
Feature-length documentary by Karin Kaper and Dirk Szuszies
The directors have known the small island of La Graciosa, north of Lanzarote, since 1994. Who could have imagined back then what dramatic changes the people there would experience over the next three decades?
La Graciosa is now officially recognized as the eighth island of the Canary Islands—a status for which the approximately 600 residents, who all live in a single village, fought for many years.
La Graciosa is a unique microcosm. The film’s protagonists are various residents of the village with whom the filmmakers have built trusting relationships over the years. They shed light on current social issues: women’s equality, the importance of local self-government, the protection of nature and the environment, the development of alternative forms of ecologically sustainable tourism, questions of social coexistence, respect for the life achievements of the older generation, and the loss of traditions.
A declaration of love for the islanders’ zest for life and spirit of resistance, as they—much like a certain famous Gallic village—fight back against the higher authorities on Lanzarote with tenacity and wit!
At the heart of this somewhat unconventional travel film lies the question: Does paradise on earth even exist? Have all the dreams of the people on La Graciosa come true?
The film’s official world premiere will take place on September 30, 2026, in Barcelona
at the Travel Films Awards film festival
in Cinemes Girona
As part of the Muestra de Cine de Lanzarote, a special screening was organized for the film’s protagonists and the villagers of La Graciosa.
In Germany, the film will be presented in mid-September 2026 at the Filmkunstmesse in Leipzig.
The nationwide theatrical release in Germany will take place on October 15, 2026.
Directors Karin Kaper and Dirk Szuszies will
personally attend the film events during the theater tour.
Filmography
Karin Kaper and Dirk Szuszies
Karin Kaper was born on June 23rd, 1959 in Bremen,
Dirk Szuszies on October 20th, 1956 in Dortmund.
Both founded the ZATA Theater together in the mid-80s and worked as director, author and actors in the independent theater sector in Munich and Berlin until the end of the 90s.
Since 2000 they have dedicated themselves full-time to the production and self-distribution of documentary films.
“The Last Mahadevi” was their first joint directorial work, an award-winning documentary about the fairytalelike, dramatic and combative story of an Austrian who found her happiness as a princess in Burma until the military dictatorship put an end to it.
Other award-winning documentaries followed such as “Resist!” And “Another Glorious Day” about the New York Living Theater and its Jewish founder Judith Malina, which were invited to festivals around the world.
The film “But life goes on”, which deals with the topic of flight and displacement very personally, also received great international attention. In this film, funded by the Foundation for German-Polish Cooperation, three Polish and three German women describe their dramatic family experiences from a personal point of view.
On January 6th, 2015, the documentary film “Berlin East Side Gallery” celebrated its world premiere, which was widely acclaimed by radio and print media. The documentation offers a multi-layered insight into the overall history of the East Side Gallery and also addresses the current conflicts that endanger the existence of the symbol of the peaceful revolution that has been declared a monument.
The award-winning documentary film “We are Jews from Breslau” by Karin Kaper and Dirk Szuszies premiered in November 2016 as part of the European Capital of Culture in Wroclaw and then ran very successfully nationwide in cinemas and at international film festivals until March 2020.
The first and only feature documentary about the life of Walter Kaufmann with the title "Walter Kaufmann - What a life!" Will be created in cooperation with 321-2021: 1700 years of Jewish life in Germany e.V. and the International Auschwitz Committee. The cinema release will take place in the course of 2021. The exact date depends on the development of the pandemic.
