Film Festival
Where glamor meets politics – The Berlinale 2024
The management duo of the Berlinale, managing director Mariette Rissenbeek and artistic director Carlo Chatrian. photo
© Jens Kalaene/dpa
The Berlinale is starting. Shortly before the start, a debate about the invitation and disinvitation of AfD representatives caused a stir. “Oppenheimer” star Cillian Murphy is expected at the opening. Which stars are still on the schedule?
Actually, everyone wants to talk about the films and the stars who are part of them Berlinale are expected: “Oppenheimer” actors Cillian Murphy, Kristen Stewart and Adam Sandler, for example. But the Berlinale has always been the most political of the major film festivals.
And so, in addition to the glamor and celebrity announcements before the start on February 15th, there is also a debate about the AfD. As usual, party representatives were invited to the opening and wanted to come. After much criticism, the festival leadership disinvited her again. The Berlin AfD state and parliamentary group leader Kristin Brinker criticized the disinvitation as a “cultural-political beacon.”
Not an easy topic for the outgoing management team Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian. Like many film fans, they should be looking forward to the program. Carey Mulligan, Gael García Bernal, Amanda Seyfried and Rooney Mara are among the other celebrities expected in Berlin.
Two German directors in competition
This time, 20 films are in the running for the Golden Bear – including two projects by German directors Andreas Dresen and Matthias Glasner. Liv Lisa Fries (“Babylon Berlin”) can be seen in Dresen’s “In Love, Your Hilde” as resistance fighter Hilde Coppi during World War II. Lars Eidinger plays in Glasner’s drama “Die” alongside Corinna Harfouch and Ronald Zehrfeld. The French director Olivier Assayas is represented with a film set in lockdown (“Hors du temps”). Nina Hoss can be seen in Claire Burger’s competition entry “Langue Étrangère”.
The Berlinale and competition open with “Small Things Like These”. Lead actor Cillian Murphy is expected in the capital. Gael García Bernal is the star of the competition entry “Another End”, Rooney Mara is in Alonso Ruizpalacios’ film “La Cocina”.
The jury decides which films win in the end. This time the panel is led by Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave”), and the jury includes German director Christian Petzold.
Political conflicts as a topic
A look at this year’s program shows that – like last year – the war in Ukraine will also be a topic. The documentary “Turn in the Wound” by Abel Ferrara deals with life there since the beginning of the war – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has his say, the music was provided by singer Patti Smith. There may be a video message from Zelensky, as a Berlinale spokeswoman said. That will still be clarified. Unfortunately Smith couldn’t come.
The situation in the Middle East and Iran should also play a role. In “Shikun,” the Israeli director Amos Gitai deals with a cross-section of Israeli society. In a side series of the Berlinale, three filmmakers withdrew their projects because of Germany’s allegedly too Israel-friendly stance in the Gaza war.
Honorary bear for Scorsese and other galas
The awarding of a special bear has already been decided: US director Martin Scorsese (“The Wolf of Wall Street”) is to be honored for his life’s work on February 20th. His thriller “Departed – Among Enemies” will then be shown.
More galas will be glamorous. For example, at the premiere of Julia von Heinz’s new film (“And Tomorrow the Whole World”). “Treasure” is her first major international project, for which she was able to win Lena Dunham and Stephen Fry. In the film adaptation of a novel by Lily Brett, Dunham plays a music journalist who goes on a tour with her father, a Holocaust survivor, through his home country of Poland.
“Treasure” is out of competition, as is “Love Lies Bleeding”. The US actresses Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian portray a couple who meet in the bodybuilding scene. On February 21st, Adam Sandler and Carey Mulligan could walk the red carpet – they are the main actors in the film “Spaceman” by Johan Renck, which will premiere then. Other star-studded premieres include “Cuckoo” by Tilman Singer with “Euphoria” star Hunter Schafer in the lead role, “Sasquatch Sunset” with Elvis Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough and Jesse Eisenberg and “Seven Veils” with Amanda Seyfried.
This is how you get tickets
Since Monday, film enthusiasts have been able to get tickets for the Berlinale online. Around 78,000 tickets were sold on the first day, roughly the same as in 2023. Tickets for regular screenings at the international film festival cost 15 euros this year. In the Berlinale Palast at Potsdamer Platz and at special gala premieres in the Verti Music Hall they are 18 euros. Tickets are always available three days in advance. The main venue for the premieres is the Berlinale Palast on Potsdamer Platz.