The International Berlin Film Festival, the first great movie event of its kind in Europe opens today. Among the international movies there is also a participant from Romania, competing for the grand prize with his film "Ana, mon amour", the director I'm talking about is Călin Peter Netzer who has a good chance given that he already won the Golden Bear in 2013 with his poignant production "Child's Pose", which, even though had a slight amount of unnecessary or drawn-out scenes, was memorable nonetheless with it's innovative and realistic exploration of a mother-son relationship.
Imperfect, but still enticing...
It showed, at the time, that there was is still a bit of hope for Romania's generally declining film arts, who often are simply satisfied with copying either Hollywood blockbusters but without their characteristic strength or making supposedly "realistic" movies that end up being nothing more than copies of the European slice of life dramas that simply show everyday life, the most boring everyday life, to be precise.
The Ultimate example. This was so dull it could bore a Highlander to death...
As for the choices from other countries, given that this edition's theme was biopics, that would possibly inspire us a bit in this generally increasingly bleak world, the selection comprises films such as "Maudie" ( a bio of the Canadian painter Maud Lewis), "Beuys" (exploring the life of great German artist Joseph Beuys) and "Django"(no, not the Tarantino one, in case you were hoping for a sequel), a movie about gypsy jazz legend Django Reinhardt.
Although, if there ever will be a sequel, it could use a little more blood :D
That being said, the Berlin festival winners were a tad disappointing, at least for me, in the last couple of years, so let's hope that whoever this time's winner is, it will live up to say, the masterpiece that got the trophy in 2002, Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away".
A film equally touching as it was disturbing. Oh, the pig transformation scene and No Face WILL haunt you dearly...
SO... with all that being said... Let the bears loose!
P.S.: The Award doesn't look like that, But how Awesome would that be?!