The lineup for this year’s Berlin film festival was announced on Monday, featuring a diverse mix of Colombian cocaine hippos, a parody of Star Wars set in northern France, and an unexpected father-daughter duo played by Stephen Fry and Lena Dunham.
The 74th annual Berlinale, taking place over 10 days, will begin on February 15th with the debut of Small Things Like These. This film is based on the popular historical novel by Irish writer Clare Keegan and has been adapted for the screen by Enda Walsh. Cillian Murphy will star in the film, reuniting with Belgian director Tim Mielants, who previously worked on the third season of Peaky Blinders.
The two leaders of the Berlinale, Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian, who are organizing the festival for the fifth and final time, have typically focused on thought-provoking independent films over flashy celebrity appearances in past years. However, their last festival will showcase a number of well-known actors joining forces with esteemed directors.
In the main competition, Mexican actor Gael García Bernal and Norwegian newcomer Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World) star in Italian director Piero Messina’s dystopian sci-fi drama Another End, about a man whose wife dies and the woman renting out her body.
Actress Rooney Mara stars in the unique film La Cocina by Mexican director Alonso Ruizpalacios, a romantic tale that takes place in a New York City restaurant kitchen. Additionally, Isabelle Huppert will be present at the festival to accept the prestigious Golden Bear award she was previously given in 2022, and she will also appear in South Korean director Hong Sang-soo’s Yeohaengjaui Pilyo (A Traveller’s Needs) as the lead actress.
French filmmakers are well represented, including Olivier Assayas’s “pandemic comedy” Suspended Time and Bruno Dumont’s L’Empire, a satirical take on Star Wars set in a fishing village on the Opal coast.
In German director Julia von Heinz’s tragicomedy Treasure, Dunham plays an American music journalist who travels to Poland with her Holocaust survivor father Edek (Fry). Formerly titled Iron Box, the film will see its world premiere at the festival but not run in the competition for the Golden Bear.
Dominican filmmaker Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias also presents his documentary “Pepe” which tells the story of a hippopotamus that resided in the private zoo of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, outside of the competitive film circuit.
Bruce LaBruce, a Canadian artist, presents The Visitor, a reinterpretation of Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Theorem, set in London. The film follows the story of a refugee who stays with a wealthy family and engages in sexual relationships with each member. The world premiere of this film will take place in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival.
On Monday, Rissenbeek and Chatrian began their presentation of the programme by addressing the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and announcing that former London film festival director Tricia Tuttle will be taking over as director.
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According to Chatrian, festivals offer a platform for creative expression and facilitate peaceful communication. They serve as meeting points for people to interact and share ideas, promoting global understanding. Chatrian believes that by utilizing the influence of films and open discussions, we can promote empathy, awareness, and understanding, particularly during challenging moments.
Recently, an anonymous petition was created to encourage a boycott of German cultural establishments due to accusations of the government suppressing pro-Palestinian viewpoints. Additionally, two filmmakers have stated that they will not be showcasing their films at the Berlinale.
Chatrian expressed remorse over their decision, however, there is no indication that any filmmakers in the primary program will participate in the boycott.
Source: theguardian.com
