"Strippers displace Berlinale!“ a lurid tabloid headline revealed before Christmas. And yes, of course, I clicked through. Magic Mike the Musical man-spreading it at Berlinale Palast --home to a vast number of industry screenings and the competition's red carpet-- was just one of the calamities on the horizon for the new Berlinale team at the end of 2019. Newly installed co-directors AD Carlo Chatrian, formerly of Locarno, and ED Mariette Rissenbeek, formerly of German Films (my job entrance interview with her), had a good number of curveballs thrown their way –many of them craftily solved by now-- but also threw a couple of early wrenches themselves. Statements like "We are no glamour machine“ and "We are not Berlin Fashion Week“ led to a reprimand by the festival’s main financier, Culture Minister Monika Grütters, who made it quite clear that she expects fireworks as well as "programmatic and atmospheric changes“. If the school principal approach doesn’t bear fruit, Helen "The Queen“ Mirren will save the red carpet when accepting this year‘s honorary Golden Bear, alongside Jeremy Irons giving most likely not boring remarks as jury president. The Berlinale is known for being "political", perhaps featuring two of Britain's best actors is a love letter to the Brexiting nation.Weeks before the 70th Berlinale (re)starts, things are looking up. Continue reading "#Berlinale2020: Year 70 or Year 1?" »
During the TIFF19 world premiere of Ina Weisse’s THE AUDITION, I was sitting next to Canadian playwright-mathematician John Mighton, the author of The Myth of Ability, who argues that we are all born capable of learning anything. Throughout this family drama, I kept thinking about what that looks like here, especially when Nina Hoss in her role as a driven music teacher fights with her student about the relationship between quantity of practice and the intensity of playing.
In their upcoming films, female German filmmakers explore fears, identity, and unusual friendships.
