Berlinale 2022: Films in Competition
by KM, Movie Lightbox
The 72nd edition of Berlin International Film Festival returns as an in-person event after staging a hybrid version last year. 18 films from 15 countries will compete for the Golden and Silver Bears. 17 titles are world premieres and seven films were directed by women.
This year’s festival has been adapted to the current pandemic situation. The film premieres are taking place from February 10 to 16, in the presence of the cast and crew and additional repeat screenings are being presented from February 17 to 20. The main festival venue will be the Berlinale Palast at Potsdamer Platz, where the press centre and other festival cinemas are located. Berlinale will also present the films at various local cinemas in Berlin.
“Human and emotional bonds are a common thread – with half of the selection choosing the family as a context for their tales. Almost all films set their tales out of the city centre, in the periphery, in the countryside or they follow the characters in their journeys away from towns", said Carlo Chatrian, Artistic Director. French auteur Claire Denis will be presenting her new film “Both Sides of the Blade”, starring Juliette Binoche, Vincent Lindon, Grégoire Colin and Bulle Ogier. Her 1999 film “Beau travail” screened in the Berlinale Forum section. German filmmaker Nicolette Krebitz has been selected to compete with her fourth feature film “A E I O U – A Quick Alphabet of Love”, a story of an impossible love affair between a thief and a lady. Ursula Meier, the French-Swiss director who won the Special Award Silver Bear at the 2012 Berlinale will be returning with a new film, “The Line”. Chatrian mentioned, “These filmmakers came with films where human bonds, family bonds, are more present. I don't think we have to find an answer as to why, because I think it would deprive the films of their complexity and impose one point of view.”
Previous Berlinale prize winners will once again be part of the competition lineup. Cambodian filmmaker Rithy Panh will be screening his new documentary “Everything Will Be Ok”, using dioramas to tell a twenty-first century dystopian story. Paolo Taviani, who made feature films with his brother Vittorio Taviani and won their Golden Bear for 2012 film “Caesar Must Die”, will be returning with his new film “Leonora addio”. Festival favorite Hong Sangsoo is back in Competition for three years in a row with his latest work, “The Novelist’s Film”. He recently won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay for his 2021 film, “Introduction”.
M. Night Shyamalan will head the jury that will decide who will take home the Golden and the Silver Bears, the festival’s top prizes. The other members of the jury are director, screenwriter and visual artist Karim Aïnouz (Brazil / Algeria), producer Saïd Ben Saïd (France / Tunisia), director and scriptwriter Anne Zohra Berrached (Germany), filmmaker and author Tsitsi Dangarembga (Zimbabwe), director and screenwriter Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (Japan), actor and producer Connie Nielsen (Denmark). Winners will be announced at the Berlinale Palast on February 16.
Here is the full list of films in Competition:
A E I O U - Das schnelle Alphabet der Liebe (A E I O U - A Quick Alphabet of Love)
Germany / France
by Nicolette Krebitz
with Sophie Rois, Udo Kier, Milan Herms, Nicolas Bridet
World premiere
Alcarràs
Spain / Italy
by Carla Simón
with Jordi Pujol Dolcet, Anna Otin, Xènia Roset, Albert Bosch, Ainet Jounou, Josep Abad
World premiere
Avec amour et acharnement (Both Sides of the Blade)
France
by Claire Denis
with Juliette Binoche, Vincent Lindon, Grégoire Colin, Bulle Ogier
World premiere
Call Jane
USA
by Phyllis Nagy
with Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Mara
International premiere
Drii Winter (A Piece of Sky)
Switzerland / Germany
by Michael Koch
with Michèle Brand, Simon Wisler
World premiere
Everything Will Be Ok
France / Cambodia
by Rithy Panh
World premiere / documentary form
La ligne (The Line)
Switzerland / France / Belgium
by Ursula Meier
with Stéphanie Blanchoud, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Elli Spagnolo
World premiere
Leonora addio
Italy
by Paolo Taviani
with Fabrizio Ferracane, Matteo Pittiruti, Dania Marino, Dora Becker
World premiere
Les passagers de la nuit (The Passengers of the Night)
France
by Mikhaël Hers
with Charlotte Gainsbourg, Quito Rayon-Richter, Noée Abita, Megan Northam, Thibault Vinçon, Emmanuelle Béart
World premiere
Nana (Before, Now & Then)
Indonesia
by Kamila Andini
with Happy Salma, Laura Basuki, Arswendy Bening Swara, Ibnu Jamil
World premiere
Peter von Kant
France
by François Ozon
with Denis Ménochet, Isabelle Adjani, Hanna Schygulla
World premiere / opening film
Rabiye Kurnaz gegen George W. Bush (Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush)
Germany / France
by Andreas Dresen
with Meltem Kaptan, Alexander Scheer
World premiere
Rimini
Austria / France / Germany
by Ulrich Seidl
with Michael Thomas, Hans-Michael Rehberg, Tessa Göttlicher, Inge Maux, Claudia Martini, Georg Friedrich
World premiere
Robe of Gems
Mexico / Argentina / USA
by Natalia López Gallardo
with Nailea Norvind, Antonia Olivares, Aida Roa
World premiere / debut film
So-seol-ga-ui Yeong-hwa (The Novelist's Film)
South Korea
by Hong Sangsoo
with Lee Hyeyoung, Kim Minhee, Seo Younghwa
World premiere
Un año, una noche (One Year, One Night)
Spain / France
by Isaki Lacuesta
with Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Noémie Merlant, Quim Gutiérrez
World premiere
Un été comme ça (That Kind of Summer)
Canada
by Denis Côté
with Larissa Corriveau, Aude Mathieu, Laure Giappiconi, Anne Ratte Polle, Samir Guesmi
World premiere
Yin Ru Chen Yan (Return to Dust)
People’s Republic of China
by Li Ruijun
with Wu Renlin, Hai Qing
World premiere
Image courtesy of Berlinale