18/01/2023 - The doc Kiss the Future is added to the Berlinale Special strand, whilst Sepideh Farsi’s “politically urgent” The Siren will kick off the Panorama programme

Today, the Berlinale announced a raft of new titles taking part in the 53^rd edition of the gathering (16-26 February). Berlinale Special (see the previous line-up news) will be enriched by the world premiere of one more documentary feature, Nenad Cicin-Sain’s Kiss the Future [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nenad Cicin-Sain and Bill C…
film profile] (USA/Ireland). The picture has been described by the festival team as “an inescapably current story of defiance, highlighting the struggle of the citizens of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War and how aid worker Bill Carter’s determination resulted in the enlistment of the world’s largest rock band, U2, to help shine a light when the world wasn’t paying attention”.

The gathering has also confirmed that the Panorama line-up is now complete. As previously announced, the programme will be opened by Sepideh Farsi’s “engaging and politically urgent film” The Siren [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (France/Germany/Luxembourg/Belgium) on 16 February. Among the new European titles announced today are three films “inviting us into the club as a social place and a space of timeless seduction and seemingly endless possibilities”: Patric Chiha’s “mesmerising club elegy” The Beast in the Jungle [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Patric Chiha
film profile] (France/Belgium/Austria), Anthony Lapia’s After [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Anthony Lapia
film profile] (France) and Hannes Hirsch’s “Berlin metamorphosis” depicted in Drifter [+see also:
trailer
interview: Hannes Hirsch and River Mat…
film profile] (Germany).

Two more German-language titles are to be showcased in the Panorama strand. In İlker Çatak’s The Teachers’ Lounge [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: İlker Çatak
interview: Leonie Benesch
film profile] (Germany), the director “takes a close look at the microcosm of a high school poisoned by power games and uncovers a social minefield”. Sisi & I [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Frauke Finsterwalder
film profile] comes ten years after Frauke Finsterwalder’s previous effort, Finsterworld [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. It promises to offer “a feminist reinterpretation of the myth of the Austro-Hungarian empress from the point of view of her final companion and admirer, Irma Sztáray”. The lead roles are played by Susanne Wolff and Sandra Hüller.

The Generation 14plus competition will open with When Will It Be Again Like It Never Was Before [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sonja Heiss
film profile] (Germany/Belgium) by Sonja Heiss on 17 February. Based on Joachim Meyerhoff’s novel of the same name, the film tells the laugh-out-loud funny and deeply moving story of a childhood and youth spent on the grounds of a psychiatric clinic. As previously announced, Domien Huyghe’s moving Sea Sparkle [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Domien & Wendy Huyghe
interview: Thibaud Dooms
film profile] (Belgium/Netherlands) will kick off the Generation Kplus competition.

“The films in this year’s Generation programme form a kaleidoscope of young worldviews. They look at what moves the present and, in doing so, open our eyes to astounding new perspectives. They create protective, private spaces, formulate clear objections and insist on the right to fantasise. They find new cinematic forms for untold truths,” said section head Sebastian Markt.

Among the European titles being showcased in the two Generation programmes is Mira Fornay’s She – Hero [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Slovakia). In it, Romy follows her escaped budgie into a wondrous Slovakian river woodland, and discovers a world where fantasy and reality merge. Meanwhile, in Delegation (Israel/Germany/Poland), Asaf Saban follows an Israeli school class visiting historical sites of German extermination camps in Poland. Finally, Alisa Kovalenko’s documentary We Will Not Fade Away [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Ukraine/France/Poland) will zoom in on five young people from the Donbas region – threatened by Russian occupation – who refuse to let go of their faith in a happy future.

The festival has also announced the full selection for the Berlinale Series strand.

Here is the full list of films selected, including the new titles announced today:

Berlinale Special

Kiss the Future [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nenad Cicin-Sain and Bill C…
film profile] – Nenad Cicin-Sain (USA/Ireland)
Golda [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Guy Nattiv (UK)
Kill Boksoon – Byun Sung-hyun (South Korea)
Massimo Troisi: Somebody Down There Likes Me [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mario Martone
film profile] – Mario Martone (Italy)
Last Night of Amore [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andrea Di Stefano
film profile] – Andrea Di Stefano (Italy)
Mad Fate – Soi Cheang (Hong Kong/China)
Sun and Concrete [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – David Wnendt (Germany)
Talk to Me – Danny and Michael Philippou (Australia)
Measures of Men [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lars Kraume
film profile] – Lars Kraume (Germany)
Infinity Pool [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Brandon Cronenberg (Canada/Hungary/Croatia/France)
Loriot's Great Cartoon Revue [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – Loriot and Peter Geyer (Germany)
#Manhole – Kazuyoshi Kumakiri (Japan)
Seneca – On the Creation of Earthquakes [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Robert Schwentke
film profile] – Robert Schwentke (Germany/Morocco)
TÁR – Todd Field (USA)
Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – Alex Gibney (UK/USA)

Berlinale Series

The Swarm [+see also:
series review
trailer
interview: Leonie Benesch
series profile] – Barbara Eder, Luke Watson and Philipp Stölzl (Germany/Belgium) (series)
Agent [+see also:
series review
trailer
series profile] - Nikolaj Lie Kaas (Denmark) (series)
The Architect [+see also:
trailer
series profile] - Kerren Lumer-Klabbers (Norway) (series)
Bad Behaviour - Corrie Chen (Australia) (series)
Roar - Reema Kagti, Zoya Akhtar and Ruchika Oberoi (India) (series)
The Good Mothers [+see also:
trailer
interview: Valentina Bellè
series profile] - Julian Jarrold and Elisa Amoruso (United Kingdom/Italy) (series)
Spy/Master [+see also:
trailer
interview: Adina Sădeanu, Kirsten Peters
series profile] - Adina Sădeanu, Kirsten Peters and Christopher Smith (Romania/Germany) (series)
Why Try to Change Me Now - Yu Gong, Xiaohui Wang and Dalei Zhang (China) (series)

Panorama

The Siren [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Sepideh Farsi (France/Germany/Luxembourg/Belgium) (opening film)
After [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Anthony Lapia
film profile] – Anthony Lapia (France)
All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White – Babatunde Apalowo (Nigeria)
And, Towards Happy Alleys – Sreemoyee Singh (India)
The Beast in the Jungle [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Patric Chiha
film profile] – Patric Chiha (France/Belgium/Austria)
Drifter [+see also:
trailer
interview: Hannes Hirsch and River Mat…
film profile] – Hannes Hirsch (Germany)
The Eternal Memory – Maite Alberdi (Chile)
Femme [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sam H Freeman, Ng Choon Ping
film profile] – Sam H Freeman, Ng Choon Ping (UK)
Ambush – Chhatrapal Ninawe (India)
Green Night – Han Shua (Hong Kong/China)
Heroic [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – David Zonana (Mexico/Sweden)
Am a Noise – Karen O'Connor, Miri Navasky, Maeve O'Boyle (USA)
Kokomo City – D Smith (USA)
The Teachers’ Lounge [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: İlker Çatak
interview: Leonie Benesch
film profile] – İlker Çatak (Germany)
Matria [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Álvaro Gago
film profile] – Álvaro Gago (Spain)
Opponent [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Milad Alami
film profile] – Milad Alami (Sweden)
Property – Daniel Bandeira (Brazil)
Midwives [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Léa Fehner
film profile] – Léa Fehner (France)
Sira [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Apolline Traoré
film profile] – Apolline Traoré (Burkina Faso/France/Germany)
Sisi & I [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Frauke Finsterwalder
film profile] – Frauke Finsterwalder (Germany/Switzerland/Austria)
Do You Love Me? [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tonya Noyabrova
film profile] – Tonia Noyabrova (Ukraine/Sweden)
Under the Sky of Damascus [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Heba Khaled, Talal Derki, Ali Wajeeh (Denmark/Germany/USA/Syria)
The Burdened - Amr Gamal (Yemen/Sudan/Saudi Arabia)
The Cemetery of Cinema [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Thierno Souleymane Diallo
film profile] - Thierno Souleymane Diallo (France/Senegal/Guinea/Saudi Arabia)
The Castle [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Martín Benchimol
film profile] - Martín Benchimol (Argentina/France)
Hello Dankness - Soda Jerk (Australia)
Inside [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Vasilis Katsoupis
film profile] - Vasilis Katsoupis (Greece/Germany/Belgium)
Iron Butterflies [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Roman Liubyi
film profile] - Roman Liubyi (Ukraine/Germany)
Passages [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Ira Sachs (France)
Perpetrator [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Jennifer Reeder (USA)
Reality - Tina Satter (USA)
Silver Haze [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Sacha Polak (Netherlands/UK)
Stams - Bernhard Braunstein (Austria)
The Quiet Migration [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Malene Choi
film profile] - Malene Choi (Denmark)
Transfariana [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Joris Lachaise
film profile] - Joris Lachaise (France/Colombia)

Generation Kplus

Sea Sparkle [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Domien & Wendy Huyghe
interview: Thibaud Dooms
film profile] - Domien Huyghe (Belgium/Netherlands) (opening film)
Cinderella – Walt Disney, Wilfred Jackson, Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske (USA) (1950)
Closing Dynasty – Lloyd Lee Choi (USA)
Dancing Queen [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – Aurora Gossé (Norway)
Gaby’s Hills – Zoé Pelchat (Canada)
A Greyhound of a Girl [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Enzo d’Alò (Luxembourg/Italy/Ireland/UK/Latvia/Estonia/Germany)
I Woke Up With a Dream – Pablo Solarz (Argentina/Uruguay)
Kiddo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Zara Dwinger
film profile] – Zara Dwinger (Netherlands)
She – Hero [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Mira Fornay (Slovakia)
Deep Sea – Tian Xiaopeng (China)
Sweet As – Jub Clerc (Australia)
Dusk – Awa Moctar Gueye (Senegal)
Xiaohui and His Cows – Xinying Lao (China)
Longing for the World [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Jenna Hasse (Switzerland)
Just Super [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Rasmus A Sivertsen (Norway)
The Properties of Metals [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Antonio Bigini (Italy)
Of Dreams in the Dream of Another Mirror – Yunyi Zhu (France, short film)
George-Peterland – Christer Wahlberg (Sweden, short film)
Somni – Sonja Rohleder (Germany, short film)
Magma – Luca Meisters (Netherlands, short film)
Spin & Ella – An Vrombaut (Belgium, short film)
The Shift – Amalie Maria Nielsen (Denmark, short film)
Pond – Lena von Döhren, Eva Rust (Switzerland, short film)
Aaaah! - Osman Cerfon (France, short film)
To Be Sisters - Anne-Sophie Gousset, Clément Céard (France, short film)
Dede Is Dead - Philippe Kastner (Czech Republic, short film)
Nanitic - Carol Nguyen (Canada, short film)
Waking up in Silence - Mila Zhluktenko, Daniel Asadi Faezi (Germany/Ukraine, short film)

Generation 14Plus

When Will It Be Again Like It Never Was Before [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sonja Heiss
film profile] – Sonja Heiss (Germany/Belgium) (opening film)
Aatmapamphlet (Autobio-Pamphlet) – Ashish Avinash Bende (India)
Almamula [+see also:
trailer
interview: Juan Sebastián Torales
film profile] – Juan Sebastian Torales (France/Argentina/Italy)
And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Axel Danielson, Maximilien …
film profile] – Axel Danielson, Maximilien Van Aertryck (Sweden/Denmark)
Delegation [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Asaf Saban (Israel/Poland/Germany)
Hito – Stephen Lopez (Philippines)
Hummingbirds – Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, Estefanía “Beba” Contreras (USA)
When a Rocket Sits on the Launch Pad – Bohao Liu (China/USA)
Mutt – Vuk Lungulov-Klotz (USA)
Ramona – Victoria Linares Villegas (Dominican Republic)
We Will Not Fade Away [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Alisa Kovalenko (Ukraine/France/Poland)
Adolfo - Sofía Auza (USA/Mexico)
Dreams' Gate - Negin Ahmadi (Iran/Norway/France)
Tomorrow Is a Long Time [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Jow Zhi Wei (Singapore/Taiwan/France/Portugal)
The Lost Boys [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Zeno Graton
film profile] - Zeno Graton (Belgium/France)
Sica [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Carla Subirana (Spain)
Incroci – Francesca de Fusco (USA/Germany, short film)
Madden – Malin Ingrid Johansson (Sweden, short film)
Simo – Aziz Zoromba (Canada, short film)
From the Corner of My Eyes – Domonkos Erhardt (Hungary, short film)
Now. Here – Hao Zhao (China, short film)
Ma mère et moi – Emma Branderhorst (Netherlands, short film)
And Me, I’m Dancing Too – Mohammad Valizadegan (Germany/Czech Republic/Iran, short film)
Mirror Mirror – Sandulela Asanda (South Africa, short film)
Catching Birds – Lea Marie Lembke, Simon Maria Kubiena (Germany, short film)
To Write from Memory - Emory Chao Johnson (USA, short film)
Before Madrid - Ilén Juambeltz, Nicolás Botana (Uruguay, short film)
Crushed - Ella Rocca (Switzerland, short film)
Infantaria Infantry - Laís Santos Araújo (Brazil, short film)