The Portland German Film Festival in Portland, OR. is presented by Zeitgeist Northwest. We are a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that provides a link to modern German culture, the German language and the arts. We believe that our traditional cultural heritage and language play an important role in our lives and that of our children. But we also strive to connect to a modern Germany that acknowledges a dark past and has emerged as a vibrant, open, liberal society, leaving that past behind. We offer a variety of opportunities to learn, to be entertained, to meet like-minded people and to network. Our events are inclusive of those speaking English, but offer plenty of opportunities to those wanting to speak German, from native German speakers to students just learning the basics. In addition to cultural offerings like films, concerts, lectures and exhibitions, we established the Sophie Scholl Saturday School for German language students of all ages. Zeitgeist Northwest fills a niche of what has been missing – we will inform, trigger debate, and reach out to other organizations in town to bridge historical divides. As a membership organization we will be home to those who happily live in the U.S. but would like to keep parts of their German identity alive in a shared forum.