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From perpetrator to coach: Eichi changes lives through football in Torgelow!
Find out how FC Pio in Torgelow promotes integration through football. Documentary film releases on November 13th, 2025 in several cities.
From perpetrator to coach: Eichi changes lives through football in Torgelow!
In Torgelow, in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, a very special man trains an equally special football team: Thomas “Eichi” Eichstätt dedicates himself to refugees and people with a migration background on a voluntary basis. His protégés, the players of “FC Pio”, face challenges such as finding a job, acceptance in society and their own past. Eichi, a tall man with a bald head and tattoos, has had an eventful life path himself: he used to be active in the right-wing extremist scene, but years ago he found his way out of this violent world.
The director Loraine Blumenthal, who has a German-Ghanaian background and grew up in Altentreptow, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, sheds light on this fascinating story in her documentary “Im Osten was Neues”. Loud NDR The film shows how football can be not only a sport, but also an instrument of integration and personal commitment that promotes togetherness and closeness. The social tensions triggered by discourses surrounding “cityscape” statements and demands for deportation are also discussed.
Film premiere and other performances
The film will be released in cinemas on November 13, 2025, simultaneously in several cities such as Berlin, Leipzig, Kassel and Dortmund, where the director will be present at the screening. This premiere is part of a larger series of performances already planned in advance. The official film website lists a variety of dates:
- 7. November 2025: Loitz im Kulturkonsum
- 12. November 2025: München im Monopol Kino
- 13. November 2025:
- Berlin Tilsiter Lichtspiele
- Leipzig in den Passage Kinos
- Kassel im Kiezkino im Film-Shop
- Berlin im Kino in der Brotfabrik (in Anwesenheit der Regisseurin)
- Dortmund im sweetsixteen
- Halle im Puschkino
- München im Werkstattkino
- Leipzig im Luru Kino in der Spinnerei
- 18. November 2025: Rostock im Lichtspieltheater Wundervoll
- 20. November 2025:
- Ludwigslust im LUNA Filmtheater
- Dortmund im sweetSixteen
- Berlin im Zeiss-Großplanetarium (in Anwesenheit der Regisseurin)
- 25. November 2025: Potsdam im Thalia Potsdam (in Anwesenheit der Regisseurin und Eichi)
- 27. November 2025: Neustrelitz im Fabrik-Kino
- 28. November 2025: Wasedow Quitjes e.V.
- 9. Dezember 2025: Ratzeburg im Burgtheater
- 13. Dezember 2025: Schwäbisch Hall im Kino im Schafstall
- 13. Februar 2026: Buckow (in Anwesenheit der Regisseurin)
The documentary provides fascinating insights into the realities of the players' lives and the important role that football plays in their integration. After NDR It becomes clear that sport acts as a kind of bridge to break down prejudices and strengthen the community.
While the film is shown in various locations, viewers can look forward to a captivating narrative that creates empathy and shows viewers the importance of integration and acceptance.