Photography MEIKE KENN
In his artistic practice, director EMMANUEL AMOAKO-JANSEN combines a multi-layered, visually poetic story telling. He is driven by a desire to show realities that are rarely visible in Germany, especially Black experiences that exist beyond clichés. For him, film is the ideal medium to weave emotions into movement, sound, and image. His feature film debut Stilllieben, which premiers in 2026, is an intimate exploration of masculinity and vulnerability in wich he shares the emotional inner world of Black men, far removed from toughness or violence: “Stilllieben is not a film that provides ready-made answers or explains how to arrive at a certain conclusion. Rather, it’s about the moments in between – those quiet moments that are rarely shown”, in which there is room for reflection, healing, closeness, and uncertainty. This delicate aesthetic deliberately contrasts the often stereotypical media representations and shows men who take responsibility and show their feelings without being judged for it: “I wanted to show what it’s like to simply be vulnerable as a Black man.” His visual signature reveals the influence of his mother, who modelled tenderness and emotional openness for him. Amoako-Jansen wants to pass on this quality, to create spaces where vulnerability is seen as a strength. After Stilllieben, he is planning a love drama – “my album,” as he says – before things can get lighter again.