What we’re about
🌟**Welcome to the Berlin Neurodivergent Community, where we are trying to create a safer space for neurodivergent people.**🧠
🌈This is a Neurodivergent community created by Neurodivergent people in Berlin. We welcome anyone who identifies as neurodivergent (ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, OCD, Sensory Processing Sensitivity/HSP, Tourettes, Intellectual Disabilities, Auditory Processing, Down Syndrome, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia and so on), whether clinically diagnosed or self-diagnosed.
🤝Our gatherings are all about sharing, making friends, having fun, unmasking and. empowering each other, without fear of discrimination or misunderstanding.
🗣️We also have a whatsapp community that welcomes anyone who have attended any offline event and are willing to join. The online community is where we connect and create events based on shared interest amongst members, such as body doubling, casual hangouts, etc.
We have an Instagram account, feel free to follow https://www.instagram.com/berlin_neurodivergent/
🤗We aim to create a supportive and inclusive community, where neurodivergent people from diverse backgrounds, unique experiences, different journey in knowledge and various intersectional challenges are respected and valued. There is zero tolerance for discrimination, harassment and bullying.
🌌 Inclusivity also means being mindful of sharing the space with others. **As much as you are encouraged to take your space, it is also important to be mindful to share it with others.**⌛️
🛤️ Once again, welcome and enjoy the journey!
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Neurocinema: Neurodivergent Film-Fest & Hangout (New to Neurodivergence)Kiezraum, Berlin
Neurodivergence Uncovered: Starting the Conversation (Neurocinema Day 1)
The festival's first day screens films that educate, foster empathy, and raise awareness of neurodivergent challenges and strengths. "Neurodivergence Uncovered" opens conversations about neurodivergence, inspiring and increasing understanding for both neurodivergent and neurotypical audiences, while offering validation to neurodivergent individuals.
After the Neurocinema: New to Neurodivergence event, join us for a casual hangout where we can connect, share experiences, and continue exploring what it means to be part of the neurodivergent community in a relaxed setting. Feel free to bring snacks and beverages to share.
For more information on the programs, please visit the Neurocinema page Day 1.
Films:
- Sick Girls by Gitti Grüter: What does it mean to have an ADHD diagnosis? Gitti Grüter takes the audience and five women with ADHD on a journey to the limits of German normality.
- What It Feels by Steven Fraser: A short animated documentary on voice hearing. What it Feels Like was the winner of Best International Documentary award at the Focus on Ability Film Festival Australia, Best Short Documentary St Neots International Film Festival and Best Amateur Film Walthamstow Smartphone Film Festival.
- Mical by Gordon Lewis: Based on an inspiring true story, a 7-year-old intelligent boy struggles to read and write because he is dyslexic. Only one person believes he can fulfil his true potential, his mother.
- Aspie by Aine Collins: This is a short Poetry film 'Aspie', by Aine Collins. This poem is created to raise awareness of Autism/Neurodiversity especially in Women.
Q&A Session:
- Filmmaker: Gitti Grüter (with protagonists Nadja Olm & Iris Spangenberg and Editor Dan Gatzmaga)
- Speaker: Dr. Steffen Zech
Event guidelines
- Participants are over 18 years old.
- People who don't identify as neurodivergent are welcomed.
- Zero tolerance for harassment and bigotry.
- Please arrive on time to ensure seating, as this is a free public event.
About the film-festival:
Neurocinema is a film festival showcasing films by or about neurodivergent individuals, celebrating diversity and creativity within the neurodivergent community. It aims to amplify neurodivergent voices, promote understanding, and break down stereotypes. Supported by FEIN Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Kiezraum.Come and celebrate Neurodivergence together!
- Neurocinema: Neurodivergent Film-Festival (ONLINE Behind the Scene Discussion)Link visible for attendees
Intermezzo: Behind the Lens with Neurodivergent Filmmakers (Neurocinema Day 2).
Beyond the screen and off the stage, step into the creative minds of neurodivergent filmmakers. As part of the Neurodivergent Film Festival, INTERMEZZO offers viewers a chance to engage directly with the filmmakers in a more intimate setting. The filmmakers gather in person, while the audience joins online, yet still part of the moment.
No screenings—just real, heartfelt conversations, followed by a live-online Q&A.
Event guidelines
- Participants are over 18 years old.
- People who don't identify as neurodivergent are welcomed.
- Zero tolerance for harassment and bigotry.
About the film-festival
Neurocinema is a film festival showcasing films by or about neurodivergent individuals, celebrating diversity and creativity within the neurodivergent community. It aims to amplify neurodivergent voices, promote understanding, and break down stereotypes. Supported by FEIN Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Kiezraum.This year's festival features four themes:
- Neurodivergence Uncovered (new to neurodivergence).
- Inner World (mental health).
- Connection Unmasked (relationships).
- Rethinking Productivity (work and neurodivergence).
- Neurocinema: Neurodivergent Film-Festival & Hangout (Mental Health)Kiezraum, Berlin
Inner World: Exploring Mental Health and Neurodivergence (Neurocinema Day 3).
Focusing on the critical topic of mental health, this theme explores the intersection of neurodivergence and psychological well-being. Films will address issues such as anxiety, depression, self-acceptance, and the impact of societal attitudes on mental health. Through personal narratives and expert insights, this theme aims to shed light on the mental health challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals and promote strategies for support, resilience, and holistic well-being.
After the event, stick around for a laid-back hangout where we can unwind, connect, and reflect on the importance of community in supporting mental well-being.
For more information on the programs, please visit the Neurocinema Day 3 page.
Films:
- I'm crying all the time and I don't know why by Jamie Machul: We ask ourselves why we are crying and try to answer without shame or fear.
- Pharma Infinity by Chanika Svetvilas: In this video artwork, Chanika Svetvilas uses prescription bottles and wire to create an infinity loop sculpture, dancing through a CVS pharmacy to reflect on side effects, treatment, and stigma. Her work explores medical conditions, BigPharma, and care, drawing from her experiences with bipolar disorder and disability justice.
- AND(H)ERS by Lennart Kistner-Bahr and Florian Lupberger: When we think of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder we often think of that one particularly loud classmate, the so-called the so called fidget spinner. For a long time, the image in the media was childlike, but what does the life of adults affected affected and why is the disorder so male-dominated? How are women and men affected differently and what do the everyday conflicts look like?
- It'll Be Fine, Probably by Matt Warlow: An abstract short film about mental health diagnosis.
- Slope by Maria Monreal: Living in a village full of slopes can drive you mad. Those who have climbed them in the old-fashioned way are fully aware of that. What they don’t know is that their souls might have stuck around.
- Lang lebe der Fischfriedhof (How to Bury a Fish) by Elsa van Damke: Mia, Jan and T* want to build a pond in the garden of their psychiatric day clinic as part of a project. But Luzie, who is prone to violence, threatens to break up the group.
Q&A Session:
- Filmmakers: Jamie Machul, Chanika Svetvilas, Lennart Kistner-Bahr, Elsa van Damke.
- Speaker: TBD
Event guidelines
- Participants are over 18 years old.
- People who don't identify as neurodivergent are welcomed.
- Zero tolerance for harassment and bigotry.
- Please arrive on time to ensure seating, as this is a free public event.
About the film-festival
Neurocinema is a film festival showcasing films by or about neurodivergent individuals, celebrating diversity and creativity within the neurodivergent community. It aims to amplify neurodivergent voices, promote understanding, and break down stereotypes. Supported by FEIN Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Kiezraum.Come and celebrate neurodivergence together!
- Neurocinema: Neurodivergent Film-Fest & Halloween Hangout (Relationships)Kiezraum, Berlin
Connection Unmasked: Navigating Relationships and Neurodivergence (Neurocinema Day 4).
This theme highlights the dynamics of social connections and relationships within the neurodivergent community. It encompasses a broad range of interactions, from friendships and romantic relationships to family dynamics and community ties. Films in this category reveal the nuances of communication, empathy, and understanding, showcasing how neurodivergent individuals navigate and enrich their interpersonal relationships.
Following the screening, stick around for a Halloween Hangout! In the spirit of the festival’s focus on relationships, we’ll celebrate connection and community in a fun Halloween gathering. Feel free to come with costumes and bring spooky snacks.
For more information on the programs, please visit the Neurocinema Day 4 page.
Films:
- A Bridge to Mundania by Connor Macrae Love: For those who the stark reality and pressures of life can feel an insurmountable struggle, happiness and belonging exists in a fantasy world of magic wizards, brave knights, and evil ghouls.
- Dix Pix by Steven Fraser: A short animated documentary that looks at the gay male/trans/non-binary body and why it is common for people to send naked pictures via dating apps.
- OH SH*T! by Elsa van Damke: Follow a 27 y/o Maggie on a date at her crush’s apartment. When she suddenly gets her period, she rushes to the bathroom — where she finds herself confronted with a monster that’s been living in her head for far too long.
- Coming Out Autistic by Steven Fraser: A short animated documentary that explores the experience of telling the world that you are autistic when you also identify as LGBTQ+. Queer coming out stories are well documented, but the occurrence of telling friends, family, co-workers and strangers that you are autistic is less explored.
- Elisa by Kristina Shtubert: She knows that her mother gets angry when she scratches herself. And yet she can't help it. She knows that she should sleep when the lights go out. And yet she can't. Because she hasn't been alone in her room for a long time.
- Carlotta's Face by Valentin Riedl, Frédéric Schuld, Fabian Driehorst : What is it like to be faceblind? "Carlotta’s Face” illuminates a relationship dysfunction in its sensitive portrayal of a woman who suffers from prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize faces, and her salvation through art.
- Poky Chan by Naoki Okada: Created by turning real people into avatars using 3D scanning technology and then incorporating them as a bricolage. The title comes from the nickname of a dog that was kept by the artist's family in their rural hometown in Japan. The motivation behind the work stems from a particular sensory experience that can only describe as “nausea” whenever encountering something difficult to accept.
- Space Girl by Aine Collins: In this short film, an autistic girl drifts through life as if wrapped in the silence of a cosmic spacesuit. Floating between worlds, she struggles to connect, with words.
- Love me fear me by Veronica Solomon: "What would you be willing to do for them to love you?" A danced out metaphor about the roles we play and the shapes we take, about the stages we chose, the audience we try to impress and the price of acceptance.
Q&A Session:
- Filmmakers: Connor Macrae Love, Elsa van Damke
- Speaker: Markus (Facilitator of ADHs-Deutschland)
Event guidelines
- Participants are over 18 years old.
- People who don't identify as neurodivergent are welcomed.
- Zero tolerance for harassment and bigotry.
- Please arrive on time to ensure seating, as this is a free public event.
About the film-festival:
Neurocinema is a film festival showcasing films by or about neurodivergent individuals, celebrating diversity and creativity within the neurodivergent community. It aims to amplify neurodivergent voices, promote understanding, and break down stereotypes. Supported by FEIN Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Kiezraum.Come to celebrate neurodiversity, and enjoy Halloween in a cozy, inclusive setting!
