German Film @ Canada - Goethe-Institut

Prior to a screening on February 21, 2019, of Max Ophüls’ last film made before his emigration from Nazi Germany to France in TIFF Cinematheque's retrospective "The Pleasure of Seeing: The Sublime Cinema of Max Ophüls", Jutta Brendemühl, Program Curator at the Goethe-Institut Toronto, discusses the socio-political implications of what is regarded as one of Ophüls' most accomplished romantic dramas, as well as production and censorship aspects and the film's lasting allure.

The multi-award winning and Oscar-submitted Supa Modo will open our latest GOETHE FILMS series "One Fine Day: Africa Now." Likarion Wainaina hit movie is the perfect entry point to our series of Kenyan-German films, a superpower and superhero story anyone anywhere can relate to. Join us at the TIFF Lightbox on March 5 and make sure you stay for the hilarious end credits.

Continue reading "One Fine Day Films: Supa Modo in pictures" »

Continue reading "GOETHE FILMS: Africa Now (& win tix)" »

As I was preparing my introduction for Max Ophüls’ LIEBELEI as part of TIFF's stunning retrospective (we'll post it here next week if you missed it or are not in Toronto), I became curious about what happened to the actors after director Ophüls, a Jew, saw the writing on the wall early on and fled Germany weeks after Hitler came to power.

Opposing his production company’s wish for big stars, Ophüls had largely cast newcomers in his hit film LIEBELEI that was shot in late 1932 to early 1933. The four young protagonists are played by Magda Schneider, Luise Ullrich, Willy Eichberger and Wolfgang Liebeneiner, who became stars with this film, and most resumed their roles for the French remake that the productive Ophüls himself shot months later. From there, their lives took very different turns. Some notes, not doing their fates or misdeeds justice: Continue reading "After 1933: What happened to Ophüls' actors?" »

Berlin‘s club and underground culture has been the subject of many a curious, breathless investigation, from morning-after breakfast conversations at Berghain club to PhD theses on bouncers, the latest stars. At the Berlinale 2019, as Germany is looking back on 30 post-Wall years, the scene is getting double treatment in two documentary world premieres, BERLIN BOUNCER and BEAUTY & DECAY, as the clubbers of the early 90s are entering late middle-age, their lifestyle becoming fodder for the history books.

Enter Sven Marquardt, Smiley Baldwin, and Frank Künster, the three most famous gatekeepers in the German capital. Continue reading "#Berlinale '19 review: Berlin Bouncer" »

Quadruple Bingo!

✔ Scores for Can Con and book-on-film: Denis Côté did Canada proud in competition, even if he didn't get a bear. The 16mm-shot supernatural Quebecois village drama Ghost Town Anthology, adapted from Laurence Olivier’s 2015 novel of the the same name, has tension, struggles, compassion, heart and humour, qualities sorely lacking in many a 2019 film so far.

✔ Finally, I cried and I laughed and got an unexpected sort-of-happy-ending all in one breathtaking film by an exciting new filmmaker-to-watch Continue reading "#BerlinaleBingo 2019: Day 10" »

My Goethe colleagues asked our group of 2019 international Berlinale Bloggers to answer 3 questions as the 69th Berlin International Film Festival is coming to the end, here's my take-away:

The times they are a-changin’ at the Berlinale. In 2020, long-time festival director Dieter Kosslick will be succeeded by a new team: Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek. If you could wish for something from the new leadership, what would it be? What should be different or better at the next Berlinale?
Continue reading "Times they are a-changin’ at Berlinale" »

Part of an ongoing series of mini profiles on the blog German Film @ Canada on the movers and shakers that make the Berlinale one of the most important events in the international film calendar: the filmmakers, programmers, curators, industry promoters and fans, from rookies to veterans.

Name & role: Logan Ouellette, Canadian expat in Berlin. Tech startup guy. Film aficionado.

This is my 5th Berlinale.

Most lasting Berlinale memory to date:
Continue reading "Berlinale People: Logan Ouellette (Berlin/Ottawa)" »

Gully Boy: 8 Mile in Hindi. With less grime & better dancing. 🇮🇳

The Kindness Of Strangers: Amelie. But with homeless people. Continue reading "18 #Berlinale micro-reviews" »

Part of an ongoing series of mini profiles on the blog German Film @ Canada on the movers and shakers that make the Berlinale one of the most important events in the international film calendar: the filmmakers, programmers, curators, industry promoters and fans, from rookies to veterans.

Name & role: Mario Pfeifer, producer/director/artist; Berlin Biennale 2018; in preparation for a survey exhibition at The Power Plant in Toronto for summer 2019.

This is my 15th Berlinale. Continue reading "Berlinale People: Mario Pfeifer, artist" »