The Goethe-Institut is an ambassador of German culture and thus also of film culture worldwide. With 158 Goethe-Instituts in 98 countries, the latest developments in German cinematic art have been presented abroad for years. Due to its special film aesthetics and its versatility, the German documentary film has always been a constant in the repertoire of the Goethe-Institut. With its real-life stories, portraits of personalities, and questions about social upheaval, documentary film is particularly well suited to addressing social, political, and cultural issues.
Since 2003, the Goethe Institute has honored documentary filmmaking with an award. Since 2022, this prize has been awarded in annual rotation at the most important German documentary film festivals. Initiated in 2022 at the DOK. Fest Munich in 2022, the prize will in future be awarded at DOK Leipzig, the Duisburg Film Week and the Kassel Dokfest (2025).