A little bit of fluff (Harald Zwart’s Pink Panther II), an Oscar hopeful (Stephen Daldry’s The Reader) and some prestige titles from master filmmakers who might have lost their touch and offerings from less-seasoned directors are among the world preems that have been announced in the Berlin Film Festival’s Competition and Out of Competition section). Some long-awaited films from the veterans in Sally Potter, Theo Angelopoulos and Chen Kaige (see pic) are being paired with filmmakers such as Moodysson, Bouchareb and Rebecca Miller. Along with Miller and Moodysson’s films, I’m looking forward to seeing Oren Moverman’s directorial debut – which will be soon a couple of weeks earlier at Sundance. Here is the complete ten list of films announced. The fest begins on the 5th of February.
Alle Anderen Germany
by Maren Ade (The Forest for the Trees)
with Birgit Minichmayr, Lars Eidinger, Hans-Jochen Wagner, Nicole Marischka
World premiere
Rage Great Britain / USA
by Sally Potter (The Tango Lesson, Orlando)
with Dame Judi Dench, Jude Law, Dianne Wiest, Steve Buscemi, Simon Abkarian
World premiere
The Dust of Time Greece / Germany / Italy / Russia
by Theo Angelopoulos (Eternity and a Day, The Weeping Meadow)
with Irene Jacob, Michel Piccoli, Willem Dafoe, Bruno Ganz
Out of competition
International premiere
Mei Lanfang (Forever Enthralled) People’s Republic of China
by Chen Kaige (Farewell My Concubine, The Promise)
with Leon Lai, Zhang Ziyi, Sun Honglei, Chen Hong
International premiere
The Messenger USA
by Oren Moverman – directorial debut
with Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton
International premiere
London River Algeria / France / Great Britain
by Rachid Bouchareb (Little Senegal, Days of Glory)
with Brenda Blethyn, Sotigui Kouyate
World premiere
Mammoth Sweden / Germany / Denmark
by Lukas Moodysson (Show me Love, Lilja 4-ever)
with Gael Garcia Bernal, Michelle Williams, Sophie Nyweide, Tom McCarthy
International premiere
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee USA
by Rebecca Miller (The Ballad of Jack and Rose)
with Robin Wright Penn, Alan Arkin, Keanu Reeves, Maria Bello, Julianne Moore, Winona Ryder
Out of competition
World premiere
The Reader USA / Germany
by Stephen Daldry (The Hours, Billy Elliot)
with Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross, Alexandra Maria Lara
Out of competition
Pink Panther II USA
by Harald Zwart (One Night at McCool’s)
with Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Andy Garcia
Out of competition
International premiere
