photo:Donata Wenders
It’s Berlinale halftime. Not that I actually know what day it is – festivals just blur into one very long period of uncountable days – but my calendar tells me that half of the joyous and exhausting time is already over.
I’m ill and have been schlepping myself around Potsdamer Platz more than I’ve been thrillingly jumping there, which results in me seeing less films than I originally planned.
Still I’ve seen 16 films in the past 5 days, so I will split this halftime review into two parts: Competition films (today) and everything else (tomorrow). This way it’s just not as overwhelming for both me to write and you to read.
With this as a backdrop continue reading what I’ve seen so far and which films you should and shouldn’t miss…
Read on…
by Lia | Movies
The red carpet is soon to be rolled out once again as Berlin hosts the 65th edition of the world’s largest public film festival—Berlinale. This international film festival spans 11 days, from February 5th until the 15th, and is the first cinema showcase in Europe each year. This year, their program boasts more than 400 films, coming from a vast variety of backgrounds. Some recurring themes include subversion, human rights, gender equality, politics and existentialism, the majority of which are explored through poignant documentaries. Dieter Kosslick, the festival director, claims that many of these films put the focus on “strong women in extreme situations.” (However, out of the 23 Competition films, only 3 feature female filmmakers.) There will also be tons of opportunities for celebrity sightings around Potsdamer Platz, with Nicole Kidman, James Franco, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Emma Watson, Cate Blanchett, Helen Mirren, Christian Bale, Natalie Portman and many more set to attend.
Ticket sales for select screenings started February 2nd, with more tickets to be released 2-3 days prior to each screening. Not sure which films to watch? We put together a list of our top 10 most anticipated films this year! Click on to see which movies made the cut. Read on…
by Skylar | Events, Misc., Movies
I’ve been a fan of Alanis Morissette since I was a teenager. I must admit her music has changed quite a bit since her early albums and become more polished than I would prefer it to be. But still I love her concerts and I was so sad that I just missed the one she had in Berlin two weeks ago.
Today the video to her new single Guardian came out that was shot here in Berlin. She’s referencing Wim Wenders‘ Wings of Desire movie from 1987 (Himmel über Berlin) that was also shot here. It’s no surprise she would get this idea as she wrote the famous title song Uninvited for the American remake City of Angels from ’98. On August 24th 2012 Alanis’ new album Havoc And Bright Lights will come out. Enjoy the Guardian video after the jump.
Read on…
by Frank | Music, Videos
What a joy: Wim Wender’s PINA is nominated for an Oscar award in the documentary category. Although the Oscars aren’t necessarily a symbol of artistic quality to me, I can’t deny a certain interest in those films that made it onto the short list of nominations. And PINA would actually deserve the award. On the occassion of this nomination, I’ll write about PINA and other wonderful documentaries focussing on dance this week.
Read on…
by Lia | Art, Entertainment, Movies
