email print share on Facebook share on Twitter share on LinkedIn share on reddit pin on Pinterest

BERLINALE 2019 Generation Kplus / Generation 14plus

Generation 2019 "gives the oppressed a voice"

by 

- The programme of the section for children's and youth films at the 69th Berlinale is now complete, boasting a total of 62 shorts and feature-length titles

Generation 2019 "gives the oppressed a voice"
Cleo by Erik Schmitt

From an impressive pool of nearly 2,500 submissions, a total of 32 short films and 30 feature-length titles representing 36 countries have been selected to make up the programme of the Generation section of the 69th Berlin International Film Festival (7-17 February 2019), dedicated to contemporary films exploring the realities and universes of children and teenagers, and divided into two competitions, Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus. They include 13 documentaries.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

This year, the growing number of viewers that this particular programme has garnered since its introduction – attendance figures have risen from 15,000 15 years ago to 70,000 today, as festival director Dieter Kosslick pointed out – will see works where special emphasis is placed on giving young people a voice. They are stories in which the young protagonists, feeling neglected and oppressed by the adult world surrounding them, face radical decisions. 

The opening films are two debut features: Makoto Nagahisa's We Are Little Zombies (Generation 14plus) and Erik Schmitt's Cleo [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
(Generation Kplus). Following his short films Rhino Full Throttle and Berlin Metanoia (14plus in 2013 and 2016), Berlin-based director Schmitt returns to delight audiences with striking stylistic choices and astonishing ingenuity. 

Section head Maryanne Redpath describes the selection as follows: “The stars in this year’s programme are self-determined beings who are often challenged by conservative traditions and who choose to set off on new paths”. She also underlines the fact that the state of "aimless boredom" can create an enormous potential for creativity, and adults in particular seem to have forgotten this. 

Here are all the features selected for Generation 2019: 

Generation 14plus 

We Are Little Zombies - Makoto Nagahisa (Japan), opening film
Stupid Young Heart [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 - Selma Vilhunen (Finland/Netherlands/Sweden) 
By the Name of Tania [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mary Jimenez, Bénédicte Lié…
film profile
]
- Bénédicte LiénardMary Jiménez (Belgium/Netherlands), documentary
The Magic Life of V [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 - Tonislav Hristov (Finland/Denmark/Bulgaria), documentary
Reconstructing Utøya [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Carl Javér (Sweden/Norway/Denmark), documentary
The Red Phallus [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
Tashi Gyeltshen (Bhutan/Germany/Nepal)
Ringside [+see also:
film review
film profile
]
- André Hörmann (Germany/USA), documentary
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 - Elle-Máijá TailfeathersKathleen Hepburn (Canada/Norway) 
Goldie - Sam de Jong (USA)
Knives and Skin - Jennifer Reeder (USA)
Your Turn ­Eliza Capai (Brazil), documentary 
Better Days - Derek Kwok-Cheung Tsang (Hong Kong/China)
The Crossing - Bai Xue (China) 
House of Hummingbird - Bo-ra Kim (Republic of Korea)
Bulbul Can Sing - Rima Das (India) 

Generation Kplus

Cleo [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Erik Schmitt (Germany), opening film
Louis & Luca - Mission to the Moon [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 - Rasmus A Sivertsen (Norway)
Sune vs Sune [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
Jon Holmberg (Sweden/Denmark)
Daniel [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Marine Atlan (France)
Kinder [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 - Nina Wesemann (Germany), documentary 
My Extraordinary Summer with Tess [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 - Steven Wouterlood (Netherlands/Germany)
Lotte and the Lost Dragons [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 - Janno PõldmaHeiki Ernits (Estonia/Latvia)
Where We Belong [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 - Jacqueline Zünd (Switzerland), documentary
Anbessa [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 - Mo Scarpelli (USA/Italy), documentary 
Baracoa [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 - Pablo Briones, The Moving Picture Boys (Switzerland/USA/Spain), documentary 
2040Damon Gameau (Australia), documentary, out of competition
Driveways - Andrew Ahn (USA) 
KokduA Story of Guardian Angels - Kim Tae Yong (Republic of Korea)
A First Farewell - Wang Lina (China)
A Colony - Geneviève Dulude-De Celles (Canada)

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.

Privacy Policy