After the opening of the Berlinale, the real festival activity started on Friday.
The first three competition films were in the program: “Die Linie” by Ursula Meier about a mother-daughter relationship, “Robe of Gems” about the Mexican drug war and “Rimini” by Ulrich Seidl about a pop singer.
In her new film, Meier focuses on the depiction of female violence. In the cinema, violence usually comes from men, she said on Friday in Berlin. She and co-screenwriter and actress Stéphanie Blanchoud asked themselves the question: “Why shouldn’t we have a female personality who is also violent?”
The film tells the story of a mother and her daughters. When one of the daughters injures her mother in an argument, she is banned from contact. Family conflicts escalate.
“The Line” is one of 18 titles competing for the Golden Bear. “Robe of Gems” and “Rimini” will also be shown in this section on Friday.
“Spiritual Wound”
The drama “Robe of Gems” tells the story of three women who get into trouble with drug trafficking. Director Natalia López Gallardo came up with the idea for the film after conducting interviews with mothers whose children had disappeared in Mexico, she said in Berlin.
You didn’t want to formulate a socio-political statement, said Gallardo. “I wanted to be in some way close to this spiritual wound that I felt and I think all Mexicans carry.”
Only go to the cinema with a mask
The evening before, the 72nd Berlinale had been opened with a gala. In view of the number of corona infections, special conditions apply this time. In the cinema, for example, you have to wear a mask, and there are buses for corona tests at Potsdamer Platz. It is significantly less buoyant than in normal years. There is not the crowd that otherwise characterizes the Berlinale. There shouldn’t be any big parties, in the cinemas a lot of seats will remain free to be on the safe side.
Alongside Cannes and Venice, the Berlinale is one of the world’s major film festivals. Hundreds of guests came to the opening to see the film «Peter von Kant» by French director François Ozon.
“It was short, beautiful and more,” wrote moderator Dunja Hayali after the opening on Facebook. “Because even with all the rightly strict corona requirements, finally again … drifting away. immersion Dream away.” She also posted pictures of herself on the red carpet in a black suit with a plunging neckline.
European Film Market as part of the festival
The Berlinale is also about international film business: Sony Pictures secured the worldwide rights to the remake of the Swedish hit film “A Man Named Ove” with Tom Hanks (65), as did the industry publications “Deadline”, “The Hollywood Reporter” and “Variety » reported. Directed by Marc Forster (“Quantum of Solace”). Hanks («Philadelphia», «Forrest Gump») stars in the Hollywood remake. The European Film Market fair is part of the Berlinale. It takes place on the Internet because of the corona pandemic.
At the Berlinale, the Pro Quote Film initiative denounced the inequality of women in the film industry. “The presence of women in key creative positions in the film and television industry must increase,” demanded director Esther Gronenborn. This applies accordingly “especially where public funds are used”.
Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth (Greens) symbolically conveyed her demands to Pro Quote Film in advance, as can be seen in a video clip. “You’re running into many, many doors for me,” emphasized Roth. It is high time, not only for a feminist foreign policy or a feminist development policy, but also for a feminist film policy. (dpa)