The 74th Berlin International Film Festival has announced its full lineup, featuring a diverse range of films competing for the prestigious Golden and Silver Bears. The festival, held in Berlin, Germany, unveiled the lineup at a press conference in the House of World Cultures. The event was attended by Berlinale managing director Mariëtte Rissenbeek and artistic director Carlo Chatrian.
One of the highlights of the competition section is Mexican director Alonso Ruizpalacios’ English-language feature debut, “La Cocina.” The film stars Rooney Mara and Raúl Briones and is set in a bustling New York City restaurant over the course of a single day. Briones plays an undocumented cook in a relationship with Julia (Mara), an American waitress who struggles to commit. The North American rights to “La Cocina” are being sold by Fifth Season, with Hanway handling international sales.
Another notable entry in the competition section is German director Andreas Dresen’s “From Hilde With Love.” The period drama stars Liv Lisa Fries and tells the story of a couple who fall in love during a blissful German summer before their lives are torn apart by the Gestapo. The film is being sold worldwide by Beta Film.
Other acclaimed directors returning to competition this year include Olivier Assayas with “Suspended Time,” Victor Kossakovsky with “Architecton,” Mati Diop with “Dahomey,” and Hong Sang-soo with “A Traveler’s Needs.” Hong Sang-soo’s film marks his fifth consecutive year competing at the Berlinale and features French acting legend Isabelle Huppert.
In addition to the competition section, the festival also announced the lineup for its Encounters sidebar, which showcases avant-garde and experimental films. Some of the highlights include Christine Angot’s directorial debut, “A Family,” Kazik Radwanski’s “Matt and Mara,” and Qiu Yang’s feature debut, “Some Rain Must Fall.”
During the press conference, Rissenbeek and Chatrian emphasized the festival’s commitment to providing a space for artistic expression and peaceful dialogue. They expressed their sympathy for the victims of the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East and their concern over the spread of discrimination and hate speech. They also announced that the festival will host panels and discussions in collaboration with the Tiny House project, a platform for Israeli and Palestinian activists.
The Berlinale has had its own share of controversies in the past, including its association with its first director, Alfred Bauer, who was found to have close connections with the Nazi regime. The festival commissioned an independent study into Bauer’s past, and an expanded version of that study has now been published as a book.
The 74th Berlin International Film Festival will open on February 15 with the Irish drama “Small Things Like These,” directed by Tim Mielants and starring Cillian Murphy. The festival will run until February 25 and will be the final one for both Chatrian and Rissenbeek, who will be stepping down after the event. They will be succeeded by Tricia Tuttle, the former director of the BFI London Film Festival.
This year’s International Jury, responsible for awarding the Gold and Silver Bear awards, will be headed by Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o. The full lineup for the festival, including films in the Panorama, Generation, Forum, and Forum Extended sidebars, has also been announced.
