Status: 02/16/2023 3:29 p.m
After two years of Corona, the Berlinale is returning to the big stage. German film is well represented at the festival, but the current crises are causing problems for the industry.
Her anticipation is great – you can tell Mariette Rissenbeek. The managing director of the Berlinale comes to the interview in an office building on Potsdamer Platz in a good mood. “Finally everything can take place again in full force. The guests are back on the red carpet, our discussion rounds are live again, and of course there are big parties again,” says the Dutchwoman, who has been organizing the Berlinale since 2019 together with the artistic director Carlo Chatrian responsible.
The hustle and bustle is back
The shared experience of cinema, the professional exchange and the artistic inspiration of the festival were hardly possible in the past two years. In 2021, the otherwise world’s largest public film festival took place in a significantly smaller version in the summer. And last year, due to the strict corona rules with compulsory distance and masks, there was hardly any festival atmosphere without major events.
But now, at the opening of the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival, the usual hustle and bustle between the high-rise buildings at the Berlinale Palace is back. The line for the festival accreditations stretches almost once around the entire block, the last barriers for the flow of visitors are set up and the red carpet is rolled out in a hurry.
Great cinema on screen and red carpet
The really big international stars will be appearing here in the coming days: director Steven Spielberg, actors Willem Dafoe and Cate Blanchett, and U2 singer Bono, among others, have announced they will be there. With the US actress Kristen Stewart, the Berlinale was once again able to win a top-class jury president.
19 films compete for this year’s Golden Bear – the festival’s highest award. Five German films are also in the competition, including the romantic drama “Red Sky” by director Christian Petzold and the literary adaptation “Someday we’ll tell each other everything” by Emily Atef. A total of 287 films from 67 countries can be seen in the various program sections until February 26th.
The film festival as a political message
This year’s edition is strongly influenced by current world politics. Solidarity with Ukraine is reflected in the festival logo as a pin. The Berlinale bear is in the national colors of Ukraine. A total of nine films are related to the Russian war of aggression and its effects. The documentary “Superpower” about President Volodymyr Zelenskyj celebrates its world premiere. Sean Penn’s filming was overshadowed by the outbreak of war. Selenskyj will be added to the opening ceremony via video.
Several films also address the political situation and the human rights protests in Iran. There are also panel discussions with Iranian filmmakers and protest actions. For Berlinale Managing Director Rissenbeek, it is a central concern to see the festival as a platform for political discussion and protest: “Whether in Iran, Ukraine, Afghanistan or elsewhere – we want to draw attention to the suffering of the people. We want to create publicity and moral Give support.”
An industry in crisis?
At the same time, the film industry faces economic challenges. Admission numbers in German cinemas are recovering, but have not yet reached the level before the pandemic. As can be seen from current figures from the film promotion agency, 78 million cinema tickets were sold last year. That is around a third less than in 2019.
Nevertheless, the industry association HDF Kino is optimistic. “The numbers are increasing significantly. After two years of the pandemic, we’re noticing that people want to go to the cinema again,” says CEO Christine Berg. In addition, thanks to state bridging aid and the entrepreneurial spirit of the operators, hardly any cinemas had to close during the crisis.
Berlinale Director Rissenbeek is also certain that the coming days will help to strengthen the film as a community experience again: “Festivals make people pay attention to certain films, which stimulates discussions and makes people laugh or annoy them together.” In any case, ticket sales for the first few days had started as well as in the years before the pandemic.