This year's Berlinale is approaching and so our guests at Miniloft can expect to enjoy a cinema extravaganza very much closeby. From Internation and European independent Films of all genres, including documentaries, short films and everything inbetween, to catching a glimpse of some of the artists that make them and the stars we see on the silver screen, all coming to Berlin to promote their walk.
When:
From the 15th to the 25th of February.
What & Where:
One can find the biggest names in international cinema in the Competition. Guests coming with their families can enjoy some fun together in Generation, where they can find films for younger audiences. As for those looking out for the new talent in the German film scene, Perspektive Deutsches Kino is the right event. For independent and art house films there is Panorama and for cinematographic works going from avant garde to experimental and unfamiliar territories of expression and technique there is both the Forum and the Forum Expanded. Additionally, be sure to also check some exploration of cinematic possibilities in Berlinale Shorts. The event Berlinale Special – which includes the Berlinale Special Gala - celebrates great works and personalities of cinema. The Berlinale Special Series, which began in 2015, presents selected international series.
There will also be a Retrospective of Weimar Cinema as well as of some Berlinale Classics, and an Homage film series to great artists of Cinema at the Museum für Film und Fernsehen in Potsdammer Platz, under the curation of the Deutsche Kinemathek. Aside from showing restorations of film classics they also feature rediscovered films.
Recommendations:
We have separated our top three recommendations into three different categories, depending on whether you are coming to Berlin with friends, family or by yourself.
- Family-friendly -
- If you are looking for a quirky and more mainstream sort of film and you happen to be a Wes Anderson fan, be sure to check his entry for this year's competition. “Isle of Dogs” will premiere at the Berlinale and it is a stop-motion animation film in the style of “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009). The voice-cast alone makes it impossible to miss: Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Tilda Swinton, etc. “Isle of Dogs” is set in future-time Japan and focuses on a 12-year-old boy's search for his pet dog.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQEx83hUPkI
- Good to watch solo or w/friends-
In case you are looking for something thrilling – quite literally a psychological thriller – and also quite French, shall we say, an entry to keep in mind is “Eva”, directed by Benoît Jacquot – who brought us “Farewell, My Queen” (2012) and the remake “Diary of a Chambermaid” (2015), both also nominated for a Golden Bear award. “Eva” is a remake of Joseph Losey’s 1962 film by the same name. The story is centered about a Welsch novelist and a French gold-digger who seduces him – the character after which the film and its remake are named.
- Date night material -
We know some cinema enthusiasts frown upon the romantic comedy genre as it is sometimes perceived as somewhat of a less virtuous manifestation of this art form, but this film seems like a great way to maybe change your mind: “Barakah Meets Barakah” (2016) was directed by Mahmoud Sabbagh and the story takes place in Saudi Arabia – a perhaps unlikely set for a hilarious movie about love and courtship in our days. An interesting and light-hearted insider's view on SaudiArabia's contemporary culture and society.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK9V_n4i_CY
To check out everything about the programme and the tickets go to the official Berlinale website: https://www.berlinale.de/en/HomePage.html
