Berlin Adds Competition Titles From Werner Herzog, Jafar Panahi and Bill Condon
The 65th Berlin International Film Festival added eight films to its main competition this morning, including new titles from Werner Herzog, Benoit Jacquot, Bill Condon and Jafar Panahi. The festival also added an additional 14 films to its Generation selection, which is comprised of features and shorts aimed at youths.
Herzog will be in Berlin with “Queen of the Desert” starring Robert Pattinson as T.E. Lawrence (aka Lawrence of Arabia), alongside Nicole Kidman as British Intelligence officer Gertrude Bell. Condon’s follow-up to his poorly received “The Fifth Estate” is titled “Mr. Holmes” and stars Ian McKellen, who starred in Condon’s “Gods and Monsters.” Panahi’s new film “Taxi” will be his third to run in competition in Berlin. The director has been banned from making movies for 20 years by his native Iran, but has continued to release new work.
As previously announced, Berlin will also world premiere Terrence Malick’s “Knight of Cups,” Andrew Haigh’s “45 Years” and opening night film “Nobody Wants the Night,” an adventure drama starring Juliette Binoche.
Below are the newly announced films playing in the competition and Generation section. The festival runs February 5-15.
Body
Poland
By Malgorzata Szumowska (Stranger, Elles, In the Name of)
With Janusz Gajos, Maja Ostaszewska, Justyna Suwala
World premiere
Cha và con và (Big Father, Small Father and Other Stories)
Vietnam / France / Germany / Netherlands
By Di Phan Dang (Bi, Don’t Be Afraid)
With Do Thi Hai Yen, Le Cong Hoang, Truong The Vinh
World premiere
Journal d’une femme de chambre (Diary of a Chambermaid)
France / Belgium
By Benoit Jacquot (Farewell, My Queen; Three Hearts)
With Léa Seydoux, Vincent Lindon, Clotilde Mollet, Hervé Pierre, Vincent Lacoste
World premiere
Mr. Holmes
United Kingdom
By Bill Condon (The Fifth Estate)
With Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Milo Parker, Hiroyuki Sanada, Hattie Morahan
World premiere – Out of competition
Queen of the Desert
USA
By Werner Herzog (Fata Morgana, Fitzcarraldo, Cave of Forgotten Dreams)
With Nicole Kidman, James Franco, Damian Lewis , Robert Pattinson
World premiere
Taxi
Iran
By Jafar Panahi (Closed Curtain, Offside)
With Jafar Panahi
World premiere
Victoria
Germany
By Sebastian Schipper (Gigantic, A Friend of Mine)
With Laia Costa, Frederick Lau, Franz Rogowski, Burak Yigit, Max Mauff, André M. Hennicke
World premiere
Yi bu zhi yao (Gone with the Bullets)
People’s Republic of China / USA / Hong Kong, China
By Wen Jiang (Let the Bullets Fly)
With Wen Jiang, You Ge, Yun Zhou, Qi Shu, Huang Hung
International premiere
Russian Federation
By Andrey Zaytsev
For Alex, beautiful Vika is out of reach. The block where she lives is enemy territory, where nothing is off limits when it comes to fighting. Amid the high-rise buildings of the suburbs, a story of first love as turbulent as it is moving unfolds.
World premiere
Cloro (Chlorine) – Italy
By Lamberto Sanfelice
Jenny’s dream of attending the synchronised swimming championships recedes into the distance when her dysfunctional family has to move from the warm seaside to the gloomy mountains. Dream-like underwater images of bodies moving rhythmically to music lend this debut feature its special atmosphere.
European premiere
Coming of Age – South Africa / Germany
By Teboho Edkins
Two years in the lives of four teenagers in the isolation of a mountain village in Lesotho. This documentary film accompanies them close-up, between the village school and the arduous task of herding sheep. The teens grow up fast and have to decide whether to follow in the tradition.
World premiere
The Diary of a Teenage Girl – USA
By Marielle Heller
With great curiosity 15-year-old Minnie begins to discover her sexuality. She tries out a lot, including things that she later regrets. Integrated animated sequences, woven together with a cool soundtrack, transport back to the San Francisco of the wild 1970’s. With Kristen Wiig, Alexander Skarsgård and Bel Powley.
International premiere
El Gurí (The Kid) – Argentina
By Sergio Mazza
Gonzalo is just ten years old, but he has to take on a lot of responsibility. He doesn’t know whether his mother is coming back. Muted colours and haunting cinematography capture the boy’s uncertain situation in fascinating and compelling fashion.
World premiere
Mina Walking – Canada / Afghanistan
By Yosef Baraki
Mina’s father is a useless junkie, her grandfather is senile and helpless and her mother was killed by the Taliban. Every day the twelve-year-old hits the streets of Kabul and takes care of everything. An impressive debut about a strong young female protagonist in present-day Afghanistan.
World premiere
One & Two – USA
By Andrew Droz Palermo
Lush, green meadows and vast forests. Eva and her brother Zac live in an idyllic setting but in complete isolation. Under their father’s fierce control and their mother’s illness, a mysterious wall encircles the world of the two siblings longing for freedom.
World premiere
Prins (Prince) – Netherlands
Sam de Jong
Tropical synthesizer sounds, a handful of sunflower seeds and a pastel magenta Lamborghini. 17-year-old Ayoub stares at his reflection in the glossy paintjob and considers what he needs in order to win over Laura. She likes the bad guys. The dealer Kalpa just might be able to give Ayoub the purple key to happiness.
World premiere
Wonderful World End – Japan
By Daigo Matsui
As Gothic Lolita, 17-year-old Shiori has lots of fans hooked on her live video blog, including shy Ayumi. This story of a twisted but tender friendship between two girls is also a colourfully shrill trip through the artificial worlds of Japanese teenagers.
International premiere
