The 73rd edition of the Berlin International Film Festival opened on Thursday night (16). Who stole the show at the event was the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, who moved the audience with a strong speech.
It wasn’t Hollywood stars or acclaimed directors who grabbed the spotlight at the Berlinale Palast, where the festival ceremony is held each year in the German capital. In an applauded speech, Zelensky spoke for ten minutes, thanking the venue and the festival’s tribute to the Ukrainian people.
“This is the showcase of a free world. Today Ukraine is the stronghold of a free world. A fortress that held out for almost a year. A fortress that protects itself, Europe and the world. A fortress that cannot fall. A fortress that will definitely remain standing”, he defended.
Traditionally engaged, the Berlinale is known for championing political causes. In this edition, however, this avant-garde festival goes a step further and openly defends the Ukrainian and Iranian populations. A series of events and projections are themed around the war in Ukraine and the fight against repression in Iran.
“Every year the Berlinale is special. But this year, it is particularly special”, said the artistic director of the event, Carlo Chatrian, at the opening.
“The war in Ukraine and the protest movement in Iran are two areas of conflict that represent broader issues, democracy and freedom of expression,” reiterated Mariëtte Rissenbeek, executive director of the festival.
One of the most anticipated premieres is the documentary “Superpower”, directed by Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman, this Friday (16). The work, which features a portrait of Volodymyr Zelensky, began shooting on February 23, 2022, the day before the start of the war.
Sean Penn also participated in the opening, revealing details of the recordings in Kiev. According to the American filmmaker, one of the interviews with Zelensky was held on the day that Ukraine began to be invaded by the Russians. “This is a great time for the world to reflect on what this all means … and that this war really needs to end,” Penn said, visibly emotional.
Outrage over Arrest of Iranian Filmmakers
Like other international festivals, the one in Berlin has witnessed with indignation the arrest of Iranian filmmakers in recent months, some of them directly related to the event. Director Mohammad Rasoulof, who won a Golden Bear for “There Is No Evil” in 2020, was arrested in July last year and is awaiting sentencing.
Another award-winning director in Berlin, Jafar Panahi (“Taxi Tehran”, 2015), was also detained for a short period in the Iranian capital, but was subsequently released.
As for the Iranian presence at the fair this year, the feature film “Mon pire ennemi” (still untitled in Portuguese) stands out. The work, shot in France by Mehran Tamadon, tells the story of an exiled filmmaker who imagines an interrogation at the hands of agents of the Iranian regime.
stars on the red carpet
Earlier in the evening, several stars walked the trendy red carpet of the Berlinale Palast, where the opening ceremony was held. Among the personalities most awaited by photographers and fans was American actress Kristen Stewart, 37 years old, the youngest president of the jury of the festival. Alongside her, the Franco-Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani and the Spanish director Carla Simón, who last year won the Golden Bear with “Alcarràs”.
This, which is one of the biggest events dedicated to cinema in the world, returns completely to its face-to-face version, after three editions affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. In total, more than 300 films will be shown in the event’s various exhibitions over the next ten days.
The opening film of the festival is the dramatic comedy “She came to me”, by Rebecca Miller, with Anne Hathaway, Peter Dinklage and Marisa Tomei. In the official competition, a total of 19 productions are candidates for the Golden Bear. Among the films competing for the statuette, the Spanish “20,000 Species of Bees”, by Estibaliz Urresola, and the Mexican “Tótem”, by Lila Avilés, stand out.
The event will pay homage to American director Steven Spielberg, who will receive an honorary Bear, and the presence of a long list of celebrities, such as Helen Mirren and John Malkovich.
Movies from around the world
The Berlinale will also give space to other countries, as is the case of “Manodrome”, with actors Jesse Eisenberg (“The Social Network”) and Adrien Brody (“The Pianist”), which addresses the “unconfessable desires” of a driver muscular. “Mal Viver”, by the Portuguese João Canijo, tells the story of a family of women who run a hotel.
Brazil has no competitor in the official competition, but it takes five representatives to the parallel exhibitions. Among them is “Propriety”, by Daniel Bandeira, who competes in Panorama, and “As Miçangas”, by Rafaela Camelo and Emanuel Lavor, the only Latin American representative in Berlinale shorts.
Also competing are “Infantaria”, by Laís Santos Araújo (Generation14plus), “O Estranho”, by Flora Dias and Juruna Mallon (Forum), the short film “A Árvore”, by Ana Vaz (Forum Expanded), “Ash Wednesday”, by Joao Pedro Prado and Bárbara Santos (Perspektive Deutsches Kino), and the classic “A Rainha Diaba”, by Antonio Carlos da Fontoura (Forum Special), which won a remastered version. The Berlinale closes on February 26.
(With information from AFP)