The Competition programme includes 18 films from 18 countries with 16 world premieres as well as one documentary form.
“The Competition films tell intimate and earth-shattering, individual and collective stories that have an enduring effect and gain their impact from their interplay with the audience. If there is a predominance of dark tones, this may be because the films we have selected tend to look at the present without illusion – not to cause fear, but because they want to open our eyes. The trust cinema places in humankind, these suffering, ill-treated, manipulative beings, is unbroken – so unbroken that it consistently views them as its protagonists” Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian.
The line-up of the Berlinale Special has now also been completed. Four more titles have been confirmed. You can find these films following the list of the Competition.
Competition
Berlin Alexanderplatz Germany / Netherlands by Burhan Qurbani with Welket Bungué, Jella Haase, Albrecht Schuch, Joachim Król, Annabelle Mandeng, Nils Verkooijen, Richard Fouofié Djimeli World premiere
DAU. Natasha Germany / Ukraine / United Kingdom / Russian Federation by Ilya Khrzhanovskiy, Jekaterina Oertel with Natalia Berezhnaya, Olga Shkabarnya, Vladimir Azhippo, Alexei Blinov, Luc Bigé World premiere
Domangchin yeoja (The Woman Who Ran) Republic of Korea by Hong Sangsoo with Kim Minhee, Seo Younghwa, Song Seonmi, Kim Saebyuk, Lee Eunmi, Kwon Haehyo, Shin Seokho, Ha Seongguk World premiere
Effacer l'historique (Delete History) France / Belgium by Benoît Delépine, Gustave Kervern with Blanche Gardin, Denis Podalydès, Corinne Masiero World premiere
El prófugo (The Intruder) Argentina / Mexico by Natalia Meta with Érica Rivas, Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Daniel Hendler, Cecilia Roth, Guillermo Arengo, Agustín Rittano, Mirta Busnelli World premiere
Favolacce (Bad Tales) Italy / Switzerland by Damiano & Fabio D'Innocenzo with Elio Germano, Barbara Chichiarelli, Lino Musella, Gabriel Montesi, Max Malatesta World premiere
First Cow USA by Kelly Reichardt with John Magaro, Orion Lee, Toby Jones, Scott Shepherd, Gary Farmer, Lily Gladstone International premiere
Irradiés (Irradiated) France / Cambodia by Rithy Panh World premiere / Documentary form
Le sel des larmes (The Salt of Tears) France / Switzerland by Philippe Garrel with Logann Antuofermo, Oulaya Amamra, André Wilms, Louise Chevillotte, Souheila Yacoub World premiere
Never Rarely Sometimes Always USA by Eliza Hittman with Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder, Théodore Pellerin, Ryan Eggold, Sharon Van Etten International premiere
Rizi (Days) Taiwan by Tsai Ming-Liang with Lee Kang-Sheng, Anong Houngheuangsy World premiere
The Roads Not Taken United Kingdom by Sally Potter with Javier Bardem, Elle Fanning, Salma Hayek, Laura Linney World premiere
Schwesterlein (My Little Sister) Switzerland by Stéphanie Chuat, Véronique Reymond with Nina Hoss, Lars Eidinger, Marthe Keller, Jens Albinus, Thomas Ostermeier, Linne-Lu Lungershausen, Noah Tscharland, Isabelle Caillat, Moritz Gottwald, Urs Jucker World premiere
Sheytan vojud nadarad (There Is No Evil) Germany / Czech Republic / Iran by Mohammad Rasoulof World premiere
Siberia Italy / Germany / Mexico by Abel Ferrara with Willem Dafoe, Dounia Sichov, Simon McBurney, Cristina Chiriac World premiere
Todos os mortos (All the Dead Ones) Brazil / France by Caetano Gotardo, Marco Dutra with Mawusi Tulani, Clarissa Kiste, Carolina Bianchi, Thaia Perez, Alaíde Costa, Leonor Silveira, Agyei Augusto, Rogério Brito, Thomás Aquino, Andrea Marquee World premiere
Undine Germany / France by Christian Petzold with Paula Beer, Franz Rogowski, Maryam Zaree, Jacob Matschenz World premiere
Volevo nascondermi (Hidden Away) Italy by Giorgio Diritti with Elio Germano World premiere
Berlinale Special
“This section provides a platform for films that captivate a wide audience. We call them ‘moving images’ because they move audiences with their expressiveness and their brilliant and courageous performers. The gala premieres fulfil the desire for the stars, glitz and glamour that is part of every big festival. Berlinale Series offers an insight into new forms of storytelling while Berlinale Special presents itself as a forum for debate and discussion and builds bridges between the audience and cinema,” comments Carlo Chatrian, Artistic Director of the Berlinale.
The following four films complete the programme of this year’s Berlinale Special. In total, 20 films from 19 countries, among them 15 world premieres, will be shown in the section.
Berlinale Special Gala at Berlinale Palast
Onward USA by Dan Scanlon with the voices of Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Mel Rodriguez, Kyle Bornheimer, Lena Waithe, Ali Wong International premiere / Animation
Berlinale Special Gala at Friedrichstadt-Palast
Curveball Germany by Johannes Naber with Sebastian Blomberg, Dar Salim, Virginia Kull, Michael Wittenborn, Thorsten Merten, Franziska Brandmeier World premiere
Berlinale Special at Haus der Berliner Festspiele
DAU. Degeneratsia (DAU. Degeneration) Germany / Ukraine / United Kingdom / Russian Federation by Ilya Khrzhanovskiy, Ilya Permyakov World premiere
Speer Goes to Hollywood Israel by Vanessa Lapa World premiere / Documentary form