Another piece of good film news. The 72nd edition of the Berlin Film Festival will be held from February 10 to 20, in person.
Better known as the Berlinale, this European Film Festival comes with great quality, as seen on its official website Berlinale Festival
Making films in times of Pandemic is a great challenge. However, the commitment of the Festivals to stay alive and standing is great.
The Berlinale 2022 will be held for a week, with a 50% capacity and to access the rooms those interested must be vaccinated or recovered, a test and the normal sanitary mask.
The omicron variable is making its way around the world, but the seventh art does not give up. The directors of the Berlinale have emphatically declared that new times need new strategies. At an online press conference they said:
"We are aware of the challenges posed by the unpredictable course of the pandemic. But at the same time we believe that we must not forget that culture plays a fundamental role in society".
An opinion that seems to me to be very accurate.
There will be 18 films in competition. The parties will be suspended, but not the public screenings of the films because the idea that the collective experience, in the dark room, is something magical that belongs to cinema, is maintained.
There will also be parallel sections such as Encounters (daring, independent and innovative authors), Berlinale Special (a space for the glamour and the extraordinary of the festival), The Forum and the Expanded Forum (a place for reflection on the cinematographic medium and the current socio-artistic discourse), among some of the activities.
It is important to note that the organizers have decided that the European Film Market (EFM) will only be held online.
On January 19, the unknown of the films in competition for the Golden Bear was revealed.
18 Films in Competition 2022
| Film | Director | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Peter Von Kant (Opening film, Starring Denis Menochet, Isabelle Adjani) | François Ozon | France |
| Nana (Before, Now & Then)(Starring Happy Salma, Laura Basuki) | Kamila Andini | Indonesia |
| That Kind of Summer (Un été comme ça)(Starring Larissa Corriver, Aude Mathieu) | Denis Côté | Canada |
| Both Sides of the Blade (Avec amour et acharnement) (Starring Juliette Binoche, Vincent Lindon, Grégoire Colin, Bulle Ogier, Mati Diop, Issa Perica, Hana Magimel) | Claire Denis | France |
| Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush (Starring Meltem Kaptan, Alexander Scher) | Andreas Dresen | Germany, France |
| The Passengers of the Night (Starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and Kido Leon-Richter) | Mikhaël Hers | France |
| A Piece of Sky (Starring Michèle Brand, Simon Wisler) | Michael Koch | Germany |
| A E I O U - A Quick Alphabet of Love (Starring Sophie Rois, Udo Kier) | Nicolette Krebitz | Germany, France |
| One Year, One Night (Starring Naville Perez Biscait, Nomi Merlant) | Isaki Lacuesta | Spain, France |
| Return to Dust (starring Wu Renlin and Haiqing) | Li Ruijun | China |
| Robe of Gems (Starring Nellie Norwind, Antonia Olivares) | Natalia López Gallardo (Director’s Debut) | Mexico, Argentina, USA |
| The Line (Starring Stéphanie Blanchoud, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi) | Ursula Meier | Switzerland, France, Belgium |
| Call Jane (Starring Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Mara) | Phyllis Nagy | United States |
| Everything Will Be OK | Rithy Panh | Cambodia, France |
| The Novelist's Film (Starring Lee Hye-young, Kim Min-hee) | Hong Sang-soo | South Korea |
| Alcarràs (Starring Jordi Pujol Dolcet, Anna Otin) | Carla Simón | Spain, Italy |
| Rimini (Starring Michael Thomas, Hans-Michael Rehberg) | Ulrich Seidl | Austria, France, Germany |
| Leonora addio (Starring Fabizio Ferraccani, Matteo Pittiruti) | Paolo Taviani | Italy |
Source: Own elaboration according to the official data of the Festival.
Source: Filmaffinity
The Festival will open with François Ozon's "Peter von Kant", a remake of the film "The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant" (1972) by the renowned master filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Source: Wikipedia
At the end of the competition, a special award will be presented to Isabelle Huppert for her film career. There will be the opportunity to enjoy, once again, "À propos de Joan", directed by Laurent Larivière, at the Berlinale Specials side event.
During the Festival, several films by Jean-Luc Godard and an exhibition of his work are planned as a tribute to the great bastion of French and world cinema.
Source: elperiodico
Among the films in competition will be the debut of Mexican filmmaker Natalia López. Spanish filmmaker Carla Simón, recognized at the Goya Awards 2018, will also present an interesting and intimate proposal that deals with family unity while modernizing family traditions.
The favorite of this competition is the film by South Korean director Hong Sang-soo, "The Novelist's Film". It is a film that was shot in times of pandemic and celebrates the beauty of "casual encounters".
As a final note, the 72nd edition of the Berlinale has 7 women from different latitudes, and visions of life, competing for this prestigious European film award.
Reflection
We know that the Mexican co-production film will premiere in Berlin, and after that we will have to wait for its release in Latin America.
We know that the Pandemic situation will keep many moviegoers at home in their countries. Travel conditions are not favorable in these times in which Germany has presented an upturn of omicron infections.
But I applaud being able to count on technology and modern elements to be able to continue enjoying the movies.
There are several online platforms where we can get closer to the seventh art.
Undoubtedly, it is not the same as before. You don't have to dress up to go to a dark room with a big screen. But it is the way we have today to enjoy 35mm.
Thanks directors, actresses, actors, producers, screenwriters, technical staff, etc. for making it possible for us to continue to meet in the cinema.