19/01/2022 - Newcomers meet the usual suspects, as Claire Denis, Ulrich Seidl and Dario Argento are set to premiere their new films at the German festival

Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian announced the Berlinale (10-20 February 2022) competition titles today, 19 January, while at the same time acknowledging the struggles brought about by the Omicron wave. “It was not an easy decision to move the [EFM] market online, but we had to do it in line with the talks we have been having with the authorities,” noted Rissenbeek. However, the festival will still take place in person, albeit in a streamlined form (see the news).

In the main competition, 18 films will be vying for the Golden Bear, all world premieres except for Phyllis Nagy’s Call Jane, which is about to be shown at Sundance. Carla Simón will show Alcarràs [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carla Simón
interview: Carla Simón
interview: Giovanni Pompili
film profile], while Claire Denis will celebrate her first time in the competition with the Juliette Binoche-starring Both Sides of the Blade [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]. In Rimini [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ulrich Seidl
film profile], Ulrich Seidl will set out on another journey to the south, and in A Piece of Sky [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michael Koch
film profile], Michael Koch will take on the illness that puts a couple to the test. European filmmakers Mikhaël Hers, Isaki Lacuesta, Andreas Dresen, Ursula Meier and Nicolette Krebitz will participate with their new works (The Passengers of the Night [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mikhaël Hers
film profile], One Year, One Night [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Isaki Lacuesta
film profile], Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andreas Dresen
interview: Meltem Kaptan
film profile], The Line [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ursula Meier
film profile] and A E I O U - A Quick Alphabet of Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nicolette Krebitz
film profile], respectively), while ten years after winning the festival and for the first time without his brother, Paolo Taviani will show Leonora Addio [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Paolo Taviani
film profile]. As a reminder, François Ozon's Peter Von Kant [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] has already been announced as the opening film.

“Twelve filmmakers have been to the festival before, eight of them were in competition, and five of them have already held a Bear in their hands. Human and emotional bonds are a common thread. More than half chose family as the context of their tales, and more than half take place in the present day. Almost all set their tales outside of the city centre,” observed Chatrian.

While the festival was forced to reduce not only the number of days over which it will unspool, but also the number of films, many well-known helmers will still get to show their latest works. In the Berlinale Special section, Lucrecia Martel’s North Terminal and Hlynur Palmarson’s Nest will be shown to the public, as will Simon Brückner’s A German Party [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hubertus Siegert
film profile], “a film we believe needs to be seen and to be discussed”, according to Chatrian, plus This Much I Know to Be True [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Andrew Dominik, which features Nick Cave himself. In Berlinale Special Gala, most of the films will work within genre, ranging from fantasy to gangster movies. “Despite the dramatic stories, most of them welcome a bit of lightness,” he said, mentioning such titles as Quentin Dupieux’s Incredible But True [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Quentin Dupieux
film profile] and Dario Argento’s Dark Glasses [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], starring Asia Argento.

Some recognisable names will also be featured in the Encounters line-up, from Bertrand Bonello, set to present Coma [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bertrand Bonello
film profile] (“a letter to his daughter and a take on the world we are living in”), to Peter Strickland, back with an original take on food in Flux Gourmet [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Peter Strickland
film profile]. In See You Friday, Robinson [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Mitra Farahani will show discussions between Ebrahim Golestan and Jean-Luc Godard, the latter also celebrated with the screening of Our Music [+see also:
trailer
film profile] in Berlinale Classic and through an exhibition.

“This year’s selection has been more challenging than usual. But we believe that the collective experience is at the centre of a film festival, or at least at the centre of the Berlinale,” observed Chatrian, adding that many films focus on “how the world was before, and how it should and could be”, while also responding with the power of imagination and humour. “Never before have we seen and welcomed so many love stories. Crazy, improbable, unexpected and intoxicating love – which is what all encounters are all about, deep down,” he said.

Here is the full list of films selected:

Competition

Peter Von Kant [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - François Ozon (France) (opening film)
Nana (Before, Now & Then) - Kamila Andini (Indonesia)
That Kind of Summer - Denis Côté (Canada)
Both Sides of the Blade [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Claire Denis (France)
Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andreas Dresen
interview: Meltem Kaptan
film profile] - Andreas Dresen (Germany/France)
The Passengers of the Night [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mikhaël Hers
film profile] - Mikhaël Hers (France)
A Piece of Sky [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michael Koch
film profile] - Michael Koch (Switzerland/Germany)
A E I O U - A Quick Alphabet of Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nicolette Krebitz
film profile] - Nicolette Krebitz (Germany/France)
One Year, One Night [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Isaki Lacuesta
film profile] - Isaki Lacuesta (Spain/France)
Return to Dust - Li Ruijun (China)
Robe of Gems - Natalia López Gallardo (Mexico/Argentina/USA)
The Line [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ursula Meier
film profile] - Ursula Meier (Switzerland/France/Belgium)
Call Jane - Phyllis Nagy (USA)
Everything Will Be OK [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rithy Panh
film profile] - Rithy Panh (France/Cambodia)
The Novelist's Film - Hong Sang-soo (South Korea)
Alcarràs [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carla Simón
interview: Carla Simón
interview: Giovanni Pompili
film profile] - Carla Simón (Spain/Italy)
Rimini [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ulrich Seidl
film profile] - Ulrich Seidl (Austria/France/Germany)
Leonora Addio [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Paolo Taviani
film profile] - Paolo Taviani (Italy)

Encounters

Sonne [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kurdwin Ayub
film profile] - Kurdwin Ayub (Austria)
Mutzenbacher [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ruth Beckermann
film profile] - Ruth Beckermann (Austria)
Coma [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bertrand Bonello
film profile] - Bertrand Bonello (France)
See You Friday, Robinson [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Mitra Farahani (France/Switzerland/Iran/Lebanon)
Axiom [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jöns Jönsson
film profile] - Jöns Jönsson (Germany)
The Death of My Mother [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jessica Krummacher
film profile] - Jessica Krummacher (Germany)
Queens of the Qing Dynasty - Ashley McKenzie (Canada)
Small, Slow But Steady [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Shô Miyake (Japan/France)
American Journal [+see also:
film review
interview: Arnaud des Pallières
film profile] - Arnaud des Pallières (France)
The City and the City [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hristos Passalis, Syllas Tz…
film profile] - Christos Passalis, Syllas Tzoumerkas (Greece)
Father's Day - Kivu Ruhorahoza (Rwanda)
Unrest [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Cyril Schäublin
film profile] - Cyril Schäublin (Switzerland)
A Little Love Package [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gastón Solnicki, Angeliki P…
film profile] - Gastón Solnicki (Austria/Argentina)
Flux Gourmet [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Peter Strickland
film profile] - Peter Strickland (UK/USA/Hungary)
Brother in Every Inch - Alexander Zolotukhin (Russia)

Berlinale Special Gala

Dark Glasses [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Dario Argento (Italy/France)
Gangubai Kathiawadi - Sanjay Leela Bhansali (India)
Incredible But True [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Quentin Dupieux
film profile] - Quentin Dupieux (France)
Against the Ice [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Peter Flinth
film profile] - Peter Flinth (Iceland/USA/Denmark)
Good Luck To You, Leo Grande [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Sophie Hyde (UK/USA)
About Joan [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laurent Larivière
film profile] - Laurent Larivière (France/Germany/Ireland)
The Outfit - Graham Moore (USA)
The Forger [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maggie Peren
film profile] - Maggie Peren (Germany/Luxembourg)

Berlinale Special

A German Party [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hubertus Siegert
film profile] - Simon Brückner (Germany)
Heart of Oak [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Laurent Charbonnier, Michel Seydoux (France)
This Much I Know To Be True [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Andrew Dominik (UK)
Nothing Lasts Forever - Jason Kohn (USA)
Terminal norte - Lucrecia Martel (Argentina) (short film)
Nest - Hlynur Pálmason (Denmark/Iceland) (short film)
1341 Frames of Love and War [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Ran Tal (Israel/UK/USA)