Walk to Syracuse at filmforum: Cinematic art between wanderlust and return

A melancholic cinema walk about freedom, longing, and return

Walk to Syracuse takes the audience into a story that sounds both light-footed and existential: Paul Gompitz, played by Charly Hübner, leaves East Germany but eventually returns. The source material is based on Friedrich Christian Delius' narrative, which is oriented toward a real escape story; director Lars Jessen combines it into a melancholic comedy with political undertones and a fine sensitivity for characters. ([epd-film.de](https://www.epd-film.de/filmkritiken/spaziergang-nach-syrakus?utm_source=openai))

Between wanderlust and border experience

The narrative unfolds its tension not through great pathos, but through the tenacious, almost comical will of a man who dreams of Italy while sinking deeper into the reality of East Germany. Critics describe the film as a mix of travel report, character study, and tragicomedy; Hübner carries the role with mischievous charm and quiet longing. ([filmstarts.de](https://www.filmstarts.de/kritiken/1000043972/kritik.html?utm_source=openai))

Dramaturgy with historical depth

The material alludes to Johann Gottfried Seume's travel report and to Friedrich Christian Delius' literary processing of a true story. This layering gives the performance at filmforum Duisburg cultural density: a work about freedom, loyalty, detours, and the question of what a person still understands as home after a border experience. ([filmstarts.de](https://www.filmstarts.de/kritiken/1000043972.html?utm_source=openai))

Atmosphere at filmforum Duisburg

The filmforum is considered the first municipal cinema in Germany and describes itself as a cinema palace from the 1950s with the latest media technology. This creates a special stage experience of cinema for visitors: historical atmosphere, clear projection, central location at Dellplatz, and a venue that remains closely connected to the film culture of the city despite its age. However, the building is not barrier-free; the restrooms are not wheelchair accessible, and there are several steps to the screening rooms. ([duisburglive.de](https://www.duisburglive.de/event/2026/08/23/spaziergang-nach-syrakus-20260823/?cHash=1af6d27615ec47a9129b3279ef0ef1f9))

An evening for an audience with a sense for cinema and history

Those who experience Walk to Syracuse do not see a mere escape story, but a finely constructed piece of political remembrance culture. The staging blends quiet irony, historical friction, and human warmth into a film evening that resonates. Especially live in the hall, the special theater atmosphere of the filmforum unfolds, where audience reaction, sound, and image work together. ([radioeins.de](https://www.radioeins.de/themen/kunst_kultur/filme/spaziergang-nach-syrakus.html?utm_source=openai))

Conclusion: On August 30, 2026, the audience at filmforum Duisburg can expect an intelligent, touching, and well-played cinema evening about longing and return. Those who appreciate strong material, fine acting, and historical resonance should not miss this performance. ([duisburglive.de](https://www.duisburglive.de/event/2026/08/23/spaziergang-nach-syrakus-20260823/?cHash=1af6d27615ec47a9129b3279ef0ef1f9))

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Sources:

• Duisburg Live - Walk to Syracuse
• filmforum Duisburg - Prices & Opening Hours
• filmforum Duisburg - Accessibility
• filmforum Duisburg - Contact & Directions
• FILMSTARTS - Review of Walk to Syracuse
• epd Film - Review of Walk to Syracuse