Girls* Riot Workshop
KUKI Festival
2 - 9 November 2025
2 - 9 November 2025
Girls* Riot Workshop
A comfy girls*-only space, cool films, catering, confidentiality, talks without taboos - and selecting the films for the Girls* Riot program at this year's KUKI & interfilm Festival.
At the Girls* Riot Workshop, participants between the ages of 15 and 19 come together to exchange ideas, empower each other, be loud and quiet together and watch and discuss around 30 contemporary, international short films that were researched especially and / or entered to the KUKI and interfilm Festivals.
It's about cinema through the gaze of intersectional feminism and topics that are otherwise often kept quiet, but also about solidarity, exchanging experiences, thinking critically and feeling strong in a group. In a cozy atmosphere, a space is created in which every voice counts, with a lot of mutual respect. ✊
Together, the group curates their own film program for the KUKI / interfilm festival ✨ - and gets to know new perspectives and themselves a little better in the process.
This year's inspiring extra input came from the two mentors Hoda Taheri and Elisa Mohr, who got the curators to question society's and their own beauty ideals as well as sharpen their decolonial perspective!
We also watched the powerful feature length documentary directed by Nina Menkes, BRAINWASHED: Sex- Camera - Power, about the way in which the visual language of cinema is often used to disempower women at the most fundamental level, even in celebrated films from early cinema to the present day.
The workshop is always free of charge and includes lunch, snacks and all the material and facilities needed.
Many thanks to the wonderful people at Connexus International for their friendly support and funding this year's Girls* Riot workshop.
And here you can see the program that resulted from the workshop ♥
If you will be aged 15-19 next summer and would like to register for the next workshop during the Berlin summer holidays in 2026, simply write to us at info@kuki-berlin.com
Tell us a little about yourself, your interests, why you would like to take part in the workshop and how you found out about it.
Don't forget to include your full name, a nickname (if you prefer), your pronouns, your date of birth, your e-mail address and your cell phone number. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
*Applications are open to all teenagers between the ages of 15-19 who identify with being a girl or a woman. This also includes individuals who once associated themselves with these social identities or who are/were still perceived as such from others.
Thanks to our Photographer Silke Mayer <3
Here are a few excerpts from the (anonymous) feedback received from Girls* Riot participants in 2025:
Did you enjoy something in particular about the workshop?
- The topic & the safespace to talk openly
- To meet so many new cool people with whom I could talk to about so much. I found it nice, how such a good safe-space was created where one could feel so comfortable and one has so much fun because of it.
- Everything about it was very cool. :3
- The people who you were surrounded with, all of them super nice and inspiring. Exactly like the movies that came from various countries and were very different
- the small group with wonderful people, a safespace was created so quickly. You were always listened to, seen and respected . Food was also great and I loved the whole Kuki-team
- Through the workshop I have found a way back to myself and feminism. I felt so safe – a room was created in which we could all speak equally. I learnt things about myself as well as about the world
- The connection between us all
What did you think about lunch? And the snacks?
- super yummy, especially lunch ♥
- Really yummy ☺
- Really, really yummy! Liked how you tried to please everyone and yet made it variated. Also liked how on the morning we got the „healthy“ snacks and later the sweet ones.
- super, everything really yummy and a lot variation
- 10/10 food and snacks were sooo amazing, you did good- thanks ♥ I never stayed hungry
- So good !!! ♥ Big thanks for all your effort !
How did you like the space?
- was very comfortable but cold :(
- Also very cool, sometimes not enough daylight
- Really, really pretty, cosy and comfortable. ♥
- really good, especially that we had the basement to watch the films but we still had lots of space upstairs and were able to go outside
- Good for watching movies, so cosy in the basement with the beanbags. Although I think it’s a bit isolated, cold and dark for the talks after the movies. But I for example thought it was great that on the last day we talked so much in the space upstairs
What did you think of the review, discussion and decision-making process?
- very good, I think everyone was listened to fairly
- quite good, I think we were mindful towards the group and were able to coordinate well with each other.
- Very cool. I liked how we all listened to each other, we shared our opinions freely and managed to come to a fair program.
- Super open and one wasn’t scared to say something wrong or to not be taken seriously
- Really pleasant. Everyone was able to say what they were thinking. There was definitely space for different opinions!!
- Very respectful and honest
Are you satisfied with your short film program?
- Very !!!
- It makes sense to me now but I’m still grieving because a few of my favourite films didn’t make it into the program :,( But I’m still happy with how the program turned out
- Absolutely !! :3
- Yes, very. I think a lot of important topics are being addressed (very varied)
- satisfied yes. I understand the importance and necessity of all the films. Although there were some that I really liked and I’m sad about the fact that basically only we were able to see them. But I still understand the selection. More films to a specific topic (for example war) would be good so that there is more selection.
- I would have really like to have Píppa et Léo in there. But it makes a lot of sense like this
What experiences and insights did you gain from the workshop?
- The film "Brainwashed"!!! For sure more, I just can’t think of anything right now.
- New contacts, more awareness for feminist topics, a nice experience, loads of new opinions about film and stuff to think about
- I enjoyed bein able to be around other girls/AFAB people, the knowledge I acquired about the topics discussed in the workshop and the amazing feeling of knowing that together we are stronger.
- I’m really proud and happy that I registered cause I generally have difficulties with meeting new people and often feel uncomfortable but the workshop has proven me the opposite
- appeal more! more activism! say more! (personally speaking, I want to engage more with difficult issues and stand up for them!) I’ve had a creative low since weeks and watching movies about all these different topics has motivated my thoughts again! (That was my hope too) (I have to start my architecture portfolio)
- I felt so comfortable and took ALL of you into my heart so quickly! I think I will get involved in politics again, and I have realized once more how much it means to me to engage with these issues
Here is space for anything else you would like to tell us:
- You guys from the team (Monica, Fredi, Sasha & Sofi) are all super sweet! Sasha has really cool hair! Fredi is Hunter Schafers long lost twin! Monica’s style is really cool! And Sofi is sooo unbelievable pretty hihi! But it was a super nice week & I’m already looking forward to next year ♥
- I thought it was really nice and I learnt so much, thank you! :)
- Thank you so much, Kuki Team. co for making this possible, for the super safe space and the delicious food! :3
- Great stickers. I’d love to repeat this week immediately. I think Monica’s earrings are really cool!!!
- It was so nice! Thank you! I learnt so much about myself and have to process the last 6 days again, the workshop was so cool!! and it gave me so much! I really want to do more with Kuki ♥ and (Interfilm) haha ☺ such a lovely team & space
- Thank you so so much! it was so nice, I can’t say it enough. I’m so happy that I enjoyed it
And here you can find a testimonial written by former Girls* Riot participant Rosa Lynch: Girls* Riot: The Radical Act of Asking Teenage Girls What They Want
