Wednesday, January 19, 2022
72nd Berlin Film Festival Lineup
On February 1, 2022 organizers will give access to the public program of the festival and will list films by festival-section in the respective web-section of the festival. When lists become available will include link to each section of those without the films listed here. So, post remains In Progress until all necessary data is included.
As Carlo Chatrian said: "we have learned to live in a state of undefined uncertainty" and fortunately film festivals are finding new ways to face uncertainty which are (finally) changing too-old ways to do things in the worldwide film industry.
There are still many more changes that should be done for the industry to thrive when the new normal becomes a reality and we can only hope they happen fast. One of those changes will come when first industry accepts that streaming is here to stay; required acceptance is quite similar to television first days when everyone thought cinema will die and nothing further from those beliefs and not only television came to stay and cinema evolved as a consolidated in scale that goes from pure entertainment into a form of art.
Believe cinemas will not disappear but their weight in the industry will be less and less to stay in the place where it belongs since a long-time-ago. Nowadays audiences participation in the film cycle is becoming more and more important and finally is taking the place it deserves since a long time ago. Well, there is much to be done yet but film festivals should start to understand that now they can have GLOBAL audiences and there is always huge benefits when films are watched by huge audiences. Not saying ALL festival films should become available to world audiences but selected films should be. Most noticeable is the effort of Sundance Film Festival with their Experience Ticket open to WORLD audiences; it's a beginning even when worldwide audiences have access to more "obscure" sections of the festival.
Let's hope Berlinale, a festival that has been cutting hedge in the past, will continue to innovate and lead for other film festivals to follow. Sigh.
So, current edition does not go all the way into a "new" format even when talks about a "festival with New Concept for In-Person Even and digital events. See, digital events relate to the business side as the digital sections are European Film Market, Berlinale Co-Prodution Market, Berlinale Talents, and World Cinema Fund. The films competition is still an In-Person event with all the necessary sanitary protections but still, a going-to-the-cinema event. If you are interested in reading more about what's going on with the new fest format go official site here.
Festival will run from February 10 to 20, 2022 with some sections like the European Film Market running from February 10 to 17, 19th Berlinale Co-Production Market from February 12 to 16, and Berlinale Talents from February 12 to 17.
Competition
As Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian says "We are happy to have back artists we cherish and whose work is important to us. We are also happy to welcome for the first time in the Competition filmmakers whose films have thrilled us. More than half of the films selected take place in the present day, but only two deal with the current pandemic times. Human and emotional bonds are a common thread – with half of the selection choosing the family as a context for their tales. Almost all films set their tales out of the city centre, in the periphery, in the countryside or they follow the characters in their journeys away from towns". "We are happy to have back artists we cherish and whose work is important to us. We are also happy to welcome for the first time in the Competition filmmakers whose films have thrilled us. More than half of the films selected take place in the present day, but only two deal with the current pandemic times. Human and emotional bonds are a common thread – with half of the selection choosing the family as a context for their tales. Almost all films set their tales out of the city centre, in the periphery, in the countryside or they follow the characters in their journeys away from towns. So, according to Chartrian, that's what the Competition films are all about.
Eighteen (18) films will compete for the Golden and Silver Bears. Productions from fifteen (15) countries are represented. Seventeen (17) films are world premieres. Seven (7) films are directed by women.
To have 7 films out of 18 directed by female directors is great but still is well below the at least 50% distribution; nevertheless, competition selection includes films by great directors like Denis Claire, Ursula Meier, Carla Simon and Phyllis Nagy (remember Carol screenwriter?).
Eleven (11) filmmakers have been at the festival before, eight (8) in Competition, and five (5) of them already hold a “Bear” in their hands. One film is non-fiction and animated set in an unspecified time.
Most interesting is to notice that below films include performances by French cinema legends and icons like Juliette Binoche, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Emmanuelle Béart, Noémie Merlant, and Isabelle Adjani; quite interesting in a year when Berlinale honors Isabelle Huppert with an Homage and Honorary Golden Bear. Undoubtedly this year's Berlinale is very French (lol!) which is just fantastique!
Opening Film: Peter von Kant, François Ozon, France
A E I O U - Das schnelle Alphabet der Liebe (A E I O U - A Quick Alphabet of Love), Nicolette Krebitz, France and Germany
Alcarràs, Carla Simón, Spain and Italy
Avec amour et acharnement (Both Sides of the Blade), Claire Denis, France
Call Jane, Phyllis Nagy, USA
Drii Winter (A Piece of Sky), Michael Koch, Switzerland and Germany
Everything Will Be Ok, Rithy Panh, France and Camboida (documentary)
La ligne (The Line), Ursula Meier, Switzerland, France and Belgium
Leonora addio, Paolo Taviani, Italy
Les passagers de la nuit (The Passengers of the Night), Mikhaël Hers, France
Nana (Before, Now & Then), Kamila Andini, Indonesia
Rabiye Kurnaz gegen George W. Bush (Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush), Andreas Dresen, Germany and France
Rimini, Ulrich Seidl, Autria, France and Germany
Robe of Gems, Natalia López Gallardo, Mexico, Argentina and USA
소설가의 영화 So-seol-ga-ui Yeong-hwa (The Novelist's Film), Hong Sangsoo, South Korea
Un año, una noche (One Year, One Night), Isaki Lacuesta, Spain and France
Un été comme ça (That Kind of Summer), Denis Côté, Canada
隐入尘烟 Yin Ru Chen Yan (Return to Dust), Li Ruijun, China
International Jury
President: M. Night Shyamalan, director, producer, screenwriter and actor, India and USA
Karim Aïnouz, director, Brazil and Algeria
Saïd Ben Saïd, film producer, France and Tunisia
Anne Zohra Berrached, filmmaker, Germany
Tsitsi Dangarembga, filmmaker and writer, Zimbabwe
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, screenwriter and director, Japan
Connie Nielsen, actress, Denmark and USA
Berlinale Special
Comprises fifteen (15) films from twelve (12) countries, among the six (6) documentary forms and nine (9) feature films as well as two (2) short films. Twelve (12) are world premieres.
Against the Ice, Peter Flinth, Iceland and Denmark
À propos de Joan (About Joan), Laurent Larivière, France, Germany and Ireland
Gangubai Kathiawadi, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, India
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Sophie Hyde, UK
Incroyable mais vrai (Incredible But True), Quentin Dupieux, France and Belgium
Der Passfälscher (The Forger), Maggie Peren, Germany and Luxembourg
Occhiali neri (Dark Glasses), Dario Argento, Italy and France
The Outfit, Graham Moore, USA
Berlinale Special Documentaries
1341 Framim Mehamatzlema Shel Micha Bar-Am (1341 Frames of Love and War), Ran Tai, Israel, UK and USA
Eine deutsche Partei (A German Party), Simon Brückner, Germany
Le chêne (Heart of Oak), Laurent Charbonnier and Michel Seydoux, France
Nothing Lasts Forever, Jason Kohn, USA
This Much I Know To Be True, Andrew Dominik, UK
Short Films
Nest, Hlynur Pálmason, Denmark and Iceland
Terminal Norte (North Terminal), Lucrecia Martel, Argentina
Berlinale Series
Berlinale Series is experiencing a strong Scandinavian year with three out of seven titles from Iceland, Sweden and Denmark. With Black Sands, an Icelandic series is presented for the first time, while an Argentinian production opens the program for the second year in a row.
Opening Serie: Iosi, El Espía Arrepentido (Yosi, the Regretful Spy), Daniel Burmanand and Sebastian Borensztein, Argentina (Amazon Prime Video)
Ellas vagt, (The Shift) Søren Balle, Ole Christian Madsen, and Lone Scherfig, Denmark (TV2)
Lust, Ella Lemhagen, Sweden (HBO Max)
Podezřen (Suspicion), Michal Blaško, Czech Republic and France (Czech TV and ARTE)
The Rising, Ed Lilly, Thora Hilmarsdottir, Paul Walker, and Carl Tibbetts, UK (Sky)
Svörtu Sandar (Black Sands), Baldvin Z, Iceland (Channel 2 Iceland)
Le temps des framboises (Last Summers of the Raspberries), Philippe Falardeau, Canada (Club Ilico)
Encounters
Competitive section with fifteen (15) films, all world premiers, one is first feature and fifteen (15) countries are represented. Each selected film aims to engage in a conversation, not only with the audience but also with other films. According to Carlo Chatrian, : ... we tend to invite filmmakers that do not consider cinema as predefined art form, with a standard that has to be reached, but rather as a field in ongoing expansion - like the universe we inhabit ..." Hmm, kind of strange statement when there are films by Bertrand Bonello and Arnaud des Pallières.
A Little Love Package, Gastón Solnicki, Austria and Argentina
À vendredi, Robinson (See You Friday, Robinson), Mitra Farahani, France, Switzerland, Iran and Lebanon (documentary)
Axiom, Jöns Jönsson, Germany
Брат во всем Brat vo vsyom (Brother in Every Inch), Alexander Zolotukhin, Russia
Coma, Bertrand Bonello, France
Father's Day, Kivu Ruhorahoza, Rwanda
Flux Gourmet, Peter Strickland, UK, USA and Hungary
I Poli ke i Poli (The City and the City), Christos Passalis, Syllas Tzoumerkas, Greece
Journal d'Amérique (American Journal), Arnaud des Pallières, France (documentary)
ケイコ 目を澄ませて Keiko, me wo sumasete (Small, Slow but Steady), Shô Miyake, Japan and France
Mutzenbacher, Ruth Beckermann, Austria (documentary)
Queens of the Qing Dynasty, Ashley McKenzie, Canada
Sonne, Kurdwin Ayub, Austria
Unrueh (Unrest), Cyril Schäublin, Switzerland
Zum Tod meiner Mutter (The Death of my Mother), Jessica Krummacher, Germany
Encounters Jury
Chiara Marañón, filmmaker and MUBI Director of Content, Spain
Ben Rivers, artist and filmmaker, UK
Silvan Zürcher, producer, screenwriter and director, Switzerland
Berlinale Shorts (competitive)
The Berlinale’s international short film competition comprises twenty-one (21) films from nineteen (19) countries, including fourteen (14) world premieres and seven (7) international premieres. There are seven fiction films, three animations and eleven experimental or documentary formats. A prevailing theme is self-empowerment in a complex world, often with a surreal approach. The members of the International Short Film Jury are the Italian artist Rosa Barba, the German short-film expert Reinhard W. Wolf and the Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia. They will award a Golden and a Silver Bear for Best short film.
Short Film Jury
Rosa Barba, artist and filmmaker, Italy
Payal Kapadia, filmmaker, India
Reinhard W. Wolf, film and media art curator, writer, Germany
The Panorama 2022 shows twenty-nine (29) feature films, twenty-five (25) are world premieres, from Thirty-three (33) countries, of which nineteen (19) are feature films and ten (10) are documentary forms (Panorama Dokumente). Eight (8) filmmakers are celebrating their feature film debuts, two their documentary film debuts. Twelve (12) of the films were directed by women.
Forum
The Berlinale Forum is showing 36 films this year. The main program includes twenty-seven (27) films, encompassing twenty-three (23) world premieres and four (4) debut films. The selection comes from a total of twenty (20) countries on five (5) continents by eleven (11) female and twenty (20) male directors. Four of the films were co-directed. A Forum Special accompanies the main program of the section: Eleven (11) short and feature-length films from the past four decades continue the "Fiktionsbescheinigung" series, plus two (2) newly restored historical films and a film portrait. The complete program will be presented in the Arsenal cinema, Delphi Filmpalast, CinemaxX, Cubix, the Akademie der Künste and in the silent green Kulturquartier. To check films in the section go arsenal official site here.
Forum Expanded
A total of thirty-nine (39) works produced in twenty-six (26) countries were selected, consisting of twenty-four (24) films (seventeen short films, five mid-length films and two long films), fourteen (14) installations and one (1) performance, including twenty-three (23) world premieres. The short film programs are part of the EFM and will be screened online in February. The complete program will be shown in the Arsenal Cinema, the silent green Kulturquartier, the Embassy of Canada, SAVVY Contemporary and for the first time in the Zeiss-Gro planetarium. To check films in the secion go arsenal official site here.
Generation
The focus of this year’s overall Generation selection is on discovering new, untamed, resonant voices of young cinema. Each of the selected films inspires, makes you reflect, sharpens your senses and provokes emotions. They are angry and free, brave and tender, eloquent and introverted. In times of social isolation, the interpersonal moments between friends, families and complete strangers in the films strike a particularly strong note.
The Berlinale Generation program comprises the competitions Kplus (28 films) and 14plus (24 films). Among those 52 films are 34 world premieres and twelve debuts. Women directed 58% of the films. Films from 38 (co-)production countries are part of the line-up. An international jury of three individuals will decide on the awards for best film. The Children’s and Youth Jury will award the Crystal Bears.
To check films in both Generation sections go official site here; have to download file that opens in browser.
Generation Juries
Jury of Generation Kplus
Daniela Cajías, cinematographer and director, Spain
Nicola Jones, German Children's Media Festival Goldener Spatz director, Germany
Samuel Kishi Leopo, director, screenwriter and editor, Mexico
Jury of Generation 14plus
Paolo Bertolin, film critic and historian, Italy
Rubika Shah, director and screenwriter, UK
Dash Shaw, comic book author and animator, director, USA
All of the films in this year's program echo the past. A World War II bomb is discovered, corpses are unearthed, an old love story yields a different look at the division of Germany and at the failures that were made and not addressed. These issues all are confronting us with their consequences to this day. Young German filmmakers take stock and find a motif for identity and history in the German forest.
With a program of seven films, Perspektive Deutsches Kino 2022 is celebrating the premieres of five feature films and two documentaries, which have emerged from more than 200 submitted works. All films will compete for the Kompass-Perspektive-Prize and the Heiner-Carow-Prize of the DEFA Foundation. Furthermore, the Kompagnon-Forderpreis will again be awarded together with the Berlinale Talents.
Retrospective
The Retrospective showcases the comedic oeuvre of three American actresses – Mae West, Rosalind Russell, and Carole Lombard during the era when the Motion Picture Production Code (“Hays Code”) was coming into effect. The curated programme encompasses 27 films released between 1932 and 1943, the glory era of the Hollywood screwball comedy genre, and is shown in primarily as 35 mm film copies.
Other Awards Juries
Berlinale Documentary Award Jury
Wang Bing, filmmaker, China
Rana Eid, sound designer and filmmaker, Lebanon
Susanne Schüle, cinematographer, Germany
First Feature Award
There are eighteen (18) films in consideration for this award; list is at official site here.
First Feature Award Jury
Gaia Furrer, festival programmer and Venice Giornate degli Autori Artistic Director, Italy
Vimukthi Jayasundara, director, Sri Lanka
Shahrbanoo Sadat, filmmaker, Afghanistan
Working with global partners, the Berlinale Classics section will screen seven digital world premieres. Mamma Roma celebrates the centenary of Pier Paolo Pasolini’s birth, while the European cinema lineage is further represented by Berlinale winner Skřiv nci na niti (Larks on a String), the rock opera Tommy, and Jean-Luc Godard’s Notre Musique (Our Music). A restoration by the Deutsche Kinemathek allows rediscovery of the silent classic Brüder (Brothers), while Asia gives us Kawaita hana (Pale Flowers) and Suzhou he (Suzhou River).
Homage
The Homage section of the Berlinale 2022 will be dedicated to French film and stage actor Isabelle Huppert, who will be awarded an Honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement. Huppert is one of the most versatile actors in the world, and has played an impressive range of characters in almost 150 cinema and television productions. In conjunction with the Award Ceremony on February 15, 2022 at the Berlinale Palast, the festival will screen as Berlinale Special Gala A propos de Joan (About Joan) by Laurent Lariviere plus the Homage will screen seven (7) films starring Isabelle Huppert by the most amazing group of directors: Haneke, Godard, Chabrol, Ozon, Verhoeven, Goretta and Hansen-Løve.
Competition Program Presentation Video
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