There aren’t any gods or mythical creatures in Uberto Pasolini’s The Return. Perhaps, if there were, the former would be looking down at the island of Ithaca with shame and pity. The Italian director – and the man behind the likes of Still Life and Nowhere Special – gives a decidedly visceral human experience instead.
It has been over ten years since the Trojan war. Odysseus (Ralph Fiennes) is missing, presumed dead. The kingdom that was once his now swarms with viperous suitors, all vying for the hand – and the wealth – of its queen, Penelope (Juliette Binoche). Telemachus (Charlie Plummer) is also at risk, too, as being heir to the throne puts a target on his back. When Odysseus washes up on the shore, bloodied and bruised, will he be able to take his place as king or has his time away changed the fate of Ithaca irrevocably?
As a film, The Return feels rather subdued. Like a classic BBC Sunday night drama in parts, it’s laden with dialogue that is supposed to feel profound (but often falls short). There’s almost a dreariness about it, as if to emphasise Odysseus’ profound state of despair. If you’re coming to this expecting daring hand-to-hand combat or mythical beings, you are going to be disappointed. Instead, this is a wordy, character driven drama.
And, at the heart of it all, is Ralph Fiennes. Having cast off the scarlet robes of Conclave, he’s extremely ripped and sunkissed. And he wants you to know. The camera gazes lovingly over his body, taking in every wound and scar. His eyes appear as luminous as the sea he washes up from. Fiennes takes his time with the character, portraying the mythical hero as traumatised by his experiences. He is disillusioned with the concept of war (but, boy, can he handle himself if pushed). Indeed, the film feels like an exploration of Odysseus PTSD, if such a thing were to be diagnosed in Ancient Greece.
He is the character with the most to do, unfortunately. An array of suitors (led by Marwan Kenzari’s Antinous) spend their days lazing around the palace, thinking of new ways to convince Penelope to marry one of their interchangeable persons or dispatch with Telemachus. Charlie Plummer doesn’t get much character development, either, other than refusing to believe that Odysseus is who he says he is before quickly accepting him. And whilst the camera, too, is in love with Juliette Binoche’s kohl–rimmed eyes by the firelight, her talents are woefully underused. We never get a sense of Penelope and Odysseus’ great love story; their chemistry is palpable but they have so little screen time together. There’s a lovely motif of Penelope unpicking her daily work at the loom – as if attempting to unspool her own fate – but that, too, is underdeveloped. In fact, she is only on screen or has dialogue in relation to the chorus of men, which stagnates and flattens any sense of who the character is.
However, the film is beautiful to look at. Those crystal clear waters will have you longing to book a holiday. The palace is entirely lit by firelight meaning that, even during the day, it is a shadowy and untrustworthy place. The action is a bit lukewarm but the moment Ralph Fiennes gets to re-string his bow is truly magnificent to behold. His dominant, hyper masculine archer’s stance allows you to take in every sinew of his body; tensing as the fate of his kingdom relies on his prowess. (Seriously, was that body under Cardinal Lawrence’s robes?)
The Return has two really big names attached to it, some gorgeous scenery and one really powerful performance. But, unfortunately, that might be all it has going for it. It really does feel like a television drama that doesn’t quite translate to the big screen.
The Return had its UK premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival and will be in UK cinemas as of April 11.
Editor at Moviescramble. European cinema, grisly thrillers and show stopping musicals are my bag. Classic Hollywood Cinema is comfort food. Spare time is heavily dependent on a lot of pizza and power ballads.
Glasgow Film Festival (GFF) wrapped the 21st edition of Scotland’s flagship film festival after an epic 12 days, featuring 114 feature films from 39 countries at Glasgow Film Theatre and nine other venues across the city, attracting over 33,000 attendances.
For the first time in its history, the festival opened and closed with Scottish world premieres – John Maclean’s Tornado and Make it to Munich from Martyn Robertson. The programme continued to spotlight Scottish talent with Glasgow-shot, Amazon studios drama Fear being given a big-screen premiere at GFT, and Edinburgh director Laura Carreira’s debut feature On Falling screening at 10 partnering cinemas across the UK.
The celebration of Scottish film on screen extended beyond the film programme into the GFF industry programme that returned for its 10th edition this year. GFF continues to be the major meeting point for the Scottish filmmaking sector, welcoming almost 750 delegates to the festival. The event – at brand new venue The Social Hub Glasgow – hosted the four-day conference that offered panels, 1-2-1 meetings and networking opportunities for delegates at all stages of their screen careers.
GFF25 Industry Focus saw Kaljeven Lally (writer), Isabella Bassett (producer) and Jena Hunter’s (producer) Responsibility win the inaugural Funny Features Industry Audience Award. The feature follows Sanjeev who quickly becomes suspect-number-one in a bizarre murder case and the target of two opposing crime families, the police, and not to mention… his parents. Industry Focus’ newest talent lab gave participants access to one-to-one consultancy sessions, workshops and bespoke mentoring to support the development of their projects.
This year also brought the sophomore year of the Animatic Talent Development scheme to facilitate the development of Scottish creatives’ animated features, TV series and short film ideas. This saw three award winners and a special mention at The Animatic Live Pitch. The winner for Best TV/Feature Pitch was animated Scottish folk mystery Lochs & Legends by Abi Lamb and the award for Best Short Pitch went to To Myself and the Forest of Tigers by Sammi Duong. Overlords, an animated adult comedy series from Hannah Kelso was also presented with the inaugural Animatic Industry Audience Award. Finally, a special mention was awarded to The Three Graces by Wilma Smith.
The festival’s free programme of events this year included its daily free morning retrospective screenings, which welcomed hundreds of movie-goers each day to enjoy classics like Gregory’s Girl, Lady Bird and Boyz n the Hood on the big screen. GFF also worked with communities around the city to co-create a Community Takeover Day at Garnethill Multicultural Centre, which featured a free screening of Ukrainian sci-fi drama U Are The Universe, plus food and activities for all ages. This event was made possible with the help of the Glasgow 850 Festival Fund, as was the Festival’s Young Ambassador programme, a GFF initiative for 18-25 year old’s to learn more about the festival and stage their own pop-up cinema event.
Bringing cinematic gems and the talent behind them to Glasgow is what the festival does best, as was the case with the sell-out showing of the classic Australian film Muriel’s Wedding, where Toni Collette surprised the audience to join a GFF / ABBA lip sync. The Australian star said, “It really amazes me that an experience that changed my life profoundly still resonates with people and means so much to people and continues to inspire people so thank you for having her [Muriel] here tonight. I’m quite moved.”
GFF welcomed a multitude of famous faces onto the red-carpet including Jessica Lange, James McAvoy, Tim Roth, Ed Harris, George Mackay and Martin Compston. The festival also marked its final year under GFF director Allison Gardner, who retires from Glasgow Film in October.
Isabel Davis, Executive Director of Screen Scotland, said: “Screen Scotland is proud to be the major backer of Glasgow Film Festival, which has outdone itself once again with a powerful programme of films and events. Emblematic of the power of cinema to inspire and assemble people, the programme and guest speakers have drawn a fantastic response from the public. Meanwhile, the industry programme has taken another leap forward, convening local and international industry like never before, sparking industry conversations and myriad new connections across the week.
“This festival also marks the final edition under the leadership of Allison Gardner, whose passion, vision, and dedication have been central to shaping GFF into the world-class event it is today. We thank her for everything she has done for film in Scotland and beyond, and wish her all the very best for the future.”
Glasgow Film Festival will return for its 22nd edition in 2026 with the full programme revealed in January. Festival dates will be announced soon. A selection of films from GFF25will screen at the GFT throughout 2025 with On Falling, The End, and Just Another Girl on the IRT screening this month.
Editor at Moviescramble. European cinema, grisly thrillers and show stopping musicals are my bag. Classic Hollywood Cinema is comfort food. Spare time is heavily dependent on a lot of pizza and power ballads.
Today, the selection of Quinzaine des Cinéastes 2025 was presented by artistic director Julien Rejl. The strand has been around since 1969 and was formerly known as Quinzaine des Réalisateurs. The section runs parallel to the main festival and has typically been the place to find the best and most original works by directors who would later become famous. This year, 18 new features were chosen from 1605 submissions, including seven first features. The opening film is Enzo, a collaboration between Robin Campillo and Laurent Cantet. Other films are as follows.
LA DANSE DES RENARDS (The Foxes Round) – Valéry Carnoy
LA MORT N’EXISTE PAS (Death Does Not Exist) – Félix Dufour-Laperriè
L’ENGLOUTIE (The Girl in the Snow) – Louise Hémon – premier long métrage / first feature film
KOKUHO – Lee Sang-il
LUCKY LU – Lloyd Lee Choi – premier long métrage / first feature film
MILITANTROPOS -Yelizaveta Smith, Alina Gorlova & Simon Mozgovyi
GIRL ON EDGE (Hua yang shao nv sha ren shi jian) – Jinghao Zhou – premier long métrage / first feature film
CLASSE MOYENNE (Middle Class) – Anthony Cordier
MIROIRS No. 3 (Mirrors No.3) – Christian Petzold
LES FILLES DÉSIR (The Girls We Want) – Prïncia Car – premier long métrage / first feature film
DANGEROUS ANIMALS – Sean Byrne
AMOUR APOCALYPSE (Peak Everything) – Anne Émond
THE PRESIDENT’S CAKE (Mamlaket al-Qasab) – Hasan Hadi – premier long métrage / first feature film
INDOMPTABLES – Thomas Ngijol
BRAND NEW LANDSCAPE (見はらし世代) – Yuiga Danzuka – premier long métrage / first feature film
QUE MA VOLONTÉ SOIT FAITE – Julia Kowalski
SORRY, BABY – Eva Victor – premier long métrage / first feature film – film de clôture / closing film
Julien Rejl
Quinzaine des Cinéastes 2025 Comments
There are some well-known names in the lineup. The opening film was a Laurent Cantet project, which Robin Campillo took over after his death. The most famous, but also the most surprising inclusion, is Christian Petzold. His films are typically screened at the Berlinale. Possibly, the film was not ready in time for that festival, but then, most outsiders would have guessed that it would get a competition or Un Certain Regard slot. Instead, it now found a home in Quinzaine. This is a significant demotion for the director unless the film is overly experimental, which would make it a better fit for this strand.
Anthony Cordier caused a splash in Quinzaine with Cold Showers in 2005 and now returns with Classe Moyenne. Canadian director Anne Émond, known for Nuit #1 (2011), presents Peak Everything, which is described as a rom-com. Julia Kowalski returns to the Quinzaine two years after her short I Saw the Face of the Devil competed there—both films star Polish actress Maria Wróbel. Militrantopos is a Ukrainian documentary.
Quinzaine des Cinéastes introduced an audience award last year, the Chantal Akerman prize. The first recipient was Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language. For some reason, Todd Haynes will receive the French Film Directors’ Guild’s lifetime achievement honour, the Carrosse d’Or award, at the section’s opening ceremony on May 14. Since 2013, the strand has housed a mentoring project called Directors’ Factory. This year, it will be devoted to young filmmakers from Ceará, in Northeastern Brazil.
Quinzaine des Cinéastes introduced an audience award last year, the Chantal Akerman prize. The first recipient was Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language. For some reason, Todd Haynes will receive the French Film Directors’ Guild’s lifetime achievement honour, the Carrosse d’Or award, at the section’s opening ceremony on May 14. Since 2013, the strand has housed a mentoring project called Directors’ Factory. This year, it will be devoted to young filmmakers from
The 2025 Directors’ Fortnight runs May 14-24. The selection committee is the same as the last two years. One can only hope they managed to select more intriguing films this time. The selection will be screened in numerous French cities after Cannes and in a few international locations as well. This year’s poster is designed by Harmony Korine.
I have been visiting the Berlinale since 2014. Since it has been ten years since my first visit, I decided to list my 10 favourite Berlinale films from these years. I decided to be strict and not include films that premiered at the Berlin Fest but I saw elsewhere. That explains the absence of Josephine Decker’s Butter On The Latch and Thou Wast Mild and Lovely, which were screened in the 2014 edition but I saw at another festival. There are other examples as well. After getting that out of the way, let’s first give some honourable mentions that didn’t make the final list.
Two of them are Hungarian; 1945 by Ferenc Török, which was screened in the Panorama section in 2017, and Natural Light (Természetes fény) reviewed here, which played in the 2021 competition. The aforementioned Decker’s Madeline’s Madeline appeared in the Forum section in 2018. Maren Hwang’s Xiao Mei was screened in the Panorama section the same year. With those out of the way, let’s proceed to the actual list.
10. Siberia 2020
Willem Defoe in Siberia.
Siberia is not the first collaboration between Abel Ferrara and Willem Defoe, but it might be the most fruitful one. The protagonist tries to leave his life behind and goes on a journey to a cold place where nobody seems to speak a language he understands, and it’s typically bodies that meet. It’s still as much a journey into the man’s mind as an outward one. Ferrara’s film manages to be epic and simultaneously mysterious and metaphorical. The film competed but was not close to winning any awards. Reviews were mixed, as they say.
9. Todos os Mortos 2020
Todos os Mortos
All the Dead Ones by Marco Dutra and Caetano Gotardo has already been reviewed, but this film, with its references to Straub and Oliveria, is still stuck in my mind.
8. Hojoom 2017
The crew of Hojoom before the screening in International in 2018.
Shahram Mokri (interviewed here) is one of the most interesting directors working today. In 2018, he presented Invasion (Hojoom) in Panorama. This film manages to make something interesting out of shooting a film in one take. It’s a murder mystery of sorts, but in many ways, it feels like a Miklós Jancsó film, for instance, The Tyrant’s Heart (A zsarnok szíve 1981).
7. Toppen av Ingenting 2018
Leonore Ekstrand in Toppen av ingenting.
In 2018, I didn’t have accreditation, so I was spared the reportedly disastrous press screening of The Real Estate (Toppen av ingenting), where people were constantly heading for the exit. The gala screening in the evening was a more jolly affair since the directors, Måns Månsson and Alexander Petersén, had plenty of Swedish compatriots among the spectators. The story is about Nojet (Leonore Ekstrand, unforgettable), who thinks she has struck gold when she inherits an estate in Stockholm. Upon arrival, she discovers that the building is in a terrible state and inhabited by tenants without legal contracts.
That is only the start of her problems in this hilarious film that doesn’t pull any punches. Neither did Leonore Ekstrand in scenes that made a Swedish critic state that some sounds would follow him to his grave.
6. Malmkrog 2020
Malmkrog
The 2020 was the first edition of the Berlinale under Carlo Chatrian’s direction. He managed to put his stamp on the festival immediately. It is no coincidence that several films from his year as the festival director are among my favourites. Malmkrog by Cristi Puiu was presented in the new Encounters section. This competitive section has proven to be the most interesting since then. The 200-minute film got its fair share of criticism, some going so far as to say it was not what cinema was intended for. I still plan to write a longer piece about this fascinating but demanding work.
5. Aimer, boire et chanter 2014
Alain Resnais
2014 was the first time I attended the Berlinale. The overwhelming reason was to see Alain Resnais’ Aimer, boire et chanter, based on Alan Ayckbourne’s play Life of Riley. Resnais is one of my all-time favourite directors, but I never understood what he saw in Ayckbourne’s work. This was his third adaptation of the British playwright after Smoking/No Smoking (1993) and Coeurs(Private Fears in Public Places 2006. The latter was a commercial and critical success, but I think it’s one of his weakest films. A feeling that wasn’t changed by watching the film eight times.
Aimer, boire, chanter is fascinating and digs into the artificial more successfully than Coeurs. There are also clear connections to Resnais’ penultimate film Vous n’avez encore rien vu (2012). The film won the now-defunct Alfred Bauer prize, and the producer said at the press conference that he had talked to the director, who wasn’t present in Berlin, and they were working on his next project. A few weeks later, Resnais died.
4. Mal viver 2023
Mal viver
Readers might remember that I think Mal viver was the best film of 2023. I explained why in my review.
3. Bait 2019
Bait
For me, the 2019 Berlinale is synonymous with the discovery of Mark Jenkin. Bait was a refreshing find in the Forum section. It’s a film that is aware of film history but still feels new and different. Again, there is a review where you can read about it.
2. Teströl és lélekröl 2017
Teströl és lélekröl
The very first film in the competition in 2017 was the return of Ildikó Eneydi. Eighteen years after her previous film, she returned with Teströl és lélekröl (On Body and Soul). It was difficult to know what to expect, but it turned out to be a triumphant return. To my utter shock, it won the Golden Bear, making it the only such winner on this list. I wrote about the film and her career.
1. Tiere 2017
Tiere
My strongest Berlinale experience remains Tiere (Animals) by Greg Zglinski. How to describe this film? The festival described it like this. “Nick and Anna are off to Switzerland for six months. Nick wants to collect recipes for local cuisine, and Anna finally hopes to write a new book. The time away might be good for their relationship, too, for Anna knows about Nick’s affair with their neighbour Andrea, who threw herself out the window. Mischa will be taking care of the fish and the philodendron in their Viennese apartment while they’re gone. On the drive to Switzerland, they collide with a sheep.”
It all sounds crystal clear, right? My description has always been: Imagine David Lynch; now imagine if he was talented. Then you would have Tiere. The film is endlessly imaginative and also really funny. It is not so easy to watch for some reason, but if you manage to get hold of it, don’t hesitate. The female lead is the fabulous Birgit Minichmayr, who stars in two films in this year’s edition. At least one of them sounds quite promising.
That ends my list. Now, one can only look forward to the 2024 edition, which starts in one week.
Dialling it up to 11, one year later
Pepe
The 2024 edition was Carlo Chatrian’s and Mark Peranson’s last, and the feeling is that they chose to go out with a bang. The decision to screen Pepe in the competition rather than Encounters was far from obvious and probably a sign that they didn’t care what the reception would be like. Watching the faces of most Anglo-Saxon critics after the first press screening was actually one of the festival’s highlights. Pepe is easily the best film I’ve ever seen at the Berlinale. I tried to explain why in my review. It was recently screened at the Gothenburg Film Festival.
Not a Thing (Veszélyes lehet a fagyi 2022) is the first feature directed by Fanni Szilágyi. The story revolves around two identical twins who lead lives that are far from identical and perceive each other through contrasting perspectives. Éva is a wealthy housewife with a newborn, while Adél is a radiologist with limited income but a burgeoning romantic relationship. She also has an upcoming job in Norway, which could potentially change her life for the better. The film has a diptych structure, where the first part shows events from Adél’s viewpoint, and the second half is dedicated to a narrative through Éva’s eyes.
The man that Adél has feelings for, Ákos (Márton Patkós), works on a building site, and his boss happens to be Éva’s husband, Tamás (Máté Szabó). Will they start a relationship where he will visit her in Norway? Many of the events in the film’s first half, but not all, are repeated in the second half, and the spectator is bound to look for subtle differences in how details are depicted. It is far from a unique way of structuring a film. However, the execution is remarkably assured, not least considering that it is a debut feature. Szilágyi directed an 8-minute short in 2017 called A csatárnö bal lába életveszélyes also starring Stork.
Natasa Stork in Not a Thing.
Redundancy is Not a Thing
The scriptwriter. Zsófia Lany is a feature debutant as well, but she co-wrote the aforementioned short. The script is skillfully nuanced, with gradual surprises that are consistently earned. That everything is not as it initially seems is a given. Still, the way things differ is more interesting and challenging to decipher than what is commonplace in such a structure and demands the spectator’s participation to interpret the action where, occasionally, two different views of events might not be mutually exclusive. Nothing is redundant in the film; it is one of the few films I wish would have been slightly longer.
Fanny Szilágyi has a degree in cinematography, too, but Not a Thing is shot by her brother Gábor. His lensing perfectly captures the difference between the sumptuous villa on the hill where Éva has a wonderful view of the city and Adél’s cramped apartment. More importantly, the colours and framing also manage to mirror the women’s frame of mind, not least in the latter half. Zsófia Tasnádi’s production design deserves praise as well. However, without a compelling leading actress, it would all be for nothing. Natasa Stork (Preparations To Be Together For An Unknown Period Of Time (Felkészülés meghatározatlan ideig tartó együttlétre 2020) is brilliant in both parts and undeniably manages to create two different characters, albeit with some similarities.
Natasa Stork and Natasa Stork in Not a Thing (Veszélyes lehet a fagyi)
The acting is uniformly fine, not least the female parts, including the mother (Magdi Bodí). The love interest, Ákos, is played by Márton Patkós, who voiced the cat in Cat Call (Cicaverzum 2023). He is good here, as is Máté Szabó as Éva’s husband, in what might be the film’s least thankful role. The film still stands and falls with Stork, who shows she is up to the task. Not a Thing was yet another product of the Incubator Programme, which I’ve written about several times in the past. It is a highly impressive debut feature, and one can only hope that Fanni Szilágyi and Zsófia Lany will be able to continue making accomplished work in the future.
The worst thing about the film is the generic English title. The Hungarian title translates as Ice Cream can be Dangerous. Not a Thing is available on YouTube, but only without subtitles. At the moment, I am not aware of any streaming options.
Berlin, a city with a cinematic history as rich and layered as its checkered past, has been a muse for filmmakers since the dawn of cinema. From the silent films of the Weimar Republic, through the city’s division into East and West, to the reunification, Berlin’s narrative has been captured on film in myriad ways. The city’s cinematic landscape has given rise to some of the most iconic films in history, reflecting its political, cultural, and emotional transitions. Some films are more known than others, and this list of the top 10 films in the Grey City doesn’t necessarily include the most famous ones.
10. Germany Year Zero (1948)
Germannia anno Zero by Roberto Rosselini.
The third film of Roberto Rossellini’s war trilogy following Rome, Open City and Paisan is the bleakest of the trilogy. The depiction of young Edmund trying to navigate war-torn Berlin is hardly a beacon of hope. This was young Edmund Moeschke’s only screen appearance, but it was enough to engrain him in spectators’ minds for years. The film was shot both on location and in the studio, marking it somewhat of a disruption with the neo-realist methods. Reactions to the film were mixed, with some deeming it melodramatic. In any case, it remains a powerful work and spawned a sequel of sorts. More about that later.
9. Menschen am Sonntag (1930)
Menschen am Sonntag by Robert Siodmak and Edgar G. Ulmer.
The amusing Menschen am Sonntag (People on Sunday) was directed by Robert Siodmak and Edgar G. Ulmer with a script by Billy Wilder. Eugen Schüfftan was the cinematographer, and Fred Zinneman was his assistant, so the film was made by several future Hollywood personalities. Since the film is from 1930, it has nothing to do with the contemporary draconian laws of what activities are not allowed on Sundays in Germany. The loose story is about a group of people trying to enjoy their weekend. The film is short and constantly entertaining.
8. Rabbit à la Berlin (2009)
Rabbit à la Berlin (Królik po berlińsku) by Bartosz Konopka.
This is the most unusual film on the list. It is a documentary of sorts about the wild rabbits that lived in the no man’s land between the Berlin walls for 28 years. It was a safe home lush with grass, free from predators, and even guarded from human interference. They were trapped but content. As their numbers grew into the thousands, guards tried to remove them, but the rabbits held on. Then, one day, everything changed: the Wall came down. Suddenly, their sheltered world was gone, and they had to leave their comfortable home behind. They migrated to West Berlin, forming small colonies that still exist today.
This description makes the metaphorical side of the film more than evident. This medium-length film not only shows the rabbits but also contains commentaries from several people, including soldiers, experts, and other witnesses. It manages to paint a portrait of the living situation in East Berlin playfully without shying away from the truth. The rabbits started spreading around when the wall came down, but they were less sheltered than before. Just like with Pepe, people decided to kill off some of them. The film shows how their lives changed and that most moved to the Western side like many people did. Rabbit à la Berlin is available in German on YouTube.
7. Cabaret (1972)
Cabaret with Liza Minelli.
It is difficult not to include Cabaret on the list. Bob Fosse captures the city’s energy and tension during the final years of the Weimar Republic. Through the Kit Kat Club, the film contrasts the era’s nightlife with the rise of Nazism. Liza Minnelli’s performance as Sally Bowles and Joel Grey’s Emcee add to its impact. With striking musical numbers composed by John Kander and the sharp social commentary, Cabaret remains an essential Berlin classic. Maybe some people would even be able to spot differences compared to today’s society.
6. Die dritte Generation (1977)
Die Dritte Generation
Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s Die Dritte Generation (The Third Generation 1979) is one of the director’s boldest films, taking a sharp take on terrorism in West Germany. Set in a chaotic, divided Berlin, it follows radicals driven more by boredom than ideology. Blending satire and thriller, Fassbinder critiques media influence and manipulation. The film’s fragmented storytelling and grainy, disorienting cinematography heighten its sense of paranoia. Die Dritte Generation captures the disillusionment of late-1970s Berlin, making it a thought-provoking portrayal of the city’s political tensions. Who is actually funding the terrorists? The cast includes Eddie Constantine, which also goes for…
5. Allemagne année 90 neuf zéro (1991)
Eddie Constantine in Allemagne année 90 neuf zéro.
The title of Jean-Luc Godard’s Allemagne année 90 neuf zéro obviously refers to the aforementioned Rossellini film. It also harks back to the director’s previous Alphaville: Une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution, where Eddie Constantine played a variation of his signature role, Lemmy Caution. In 1990, he is just a fish out of water as Philip Marlowe in The Long Goodbye (1973), albeit for different reasons. It is one of the first and best films about the new reality after the Berlin Wall came down. The entire film is available on YouTube with English subtitles.
4. Flight to Berlin (1984)
Tusse Silberg in Flight to Berlin.
Christopher Petit’s first film, Radio On (1979), became an instant cult classic, while his sophomore effort, An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (1982), was sadly underrated. Flight to Berlin is his third film and also the third on this list that features Eddie Constantine. The storyline about Susannah (Tusse Silberg), who is whisked away from her hotel for interrogation, dives straight into mystery and essentially keeps it that way. The film captures the split city, but as I mentioned before, it’s also full of references to films by Godard and other directors. It is a film worth seeing by a director who seems to be forgotten nowadays.
3. M – Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder (1931)
Fritz Lang’s M – Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder (1931) is a seminal German film set in Berlin’s bustling, shadowy underbelly during the Weimar Republic. The story centres on Hans Beckert, a child murderer whose crimes disrupt the city’s fragile order. Berlin’s criminals, facing police pressure, take justice into their own hands, forming a parallel justice system. This portrayal of Berlin is both a character and a backdrop, showcasing the city’s dark, labyrinthine streets where fear and paranoia reign. The criminals’ response to Beckert’s deeds is pragmatic; they organize to capture him, not out of morality but to restore their disrupted business.
Joseph Losey made an underrated remake in 1951. That was not the only time when that director presented a film that didn’t get the reception that it deserved.
2. Possession (1981)
Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill in Possession.
Possession is the only film in English by Andrzej Żuławski and his most well-known internationally, even if it was distributed in a truncated version in the US. The story of a spy (Sam Neill) and his wife (Isabelle Adjani) is not a film easily forgotten. That goes for the thespians as well. Adjani stated that it took years for her to recover from the shooting, and Sam Neill recently said that he “escaped that film with my sanity barely intact”. The cold war setting of Berlin has rarely felt more distressing. A pivotal scene takes place in the famous Café Einstein, which is, sadly, permanently closed.
1. Der Himmel über Berlin (1987)
Der Himmel über Berlin
The number 1 was an obvious choice. The title Der Himmel über Berlin has nothing to do with the fact that Uber was the vehicle provider at last year’s Berlinale (now replaced by Cupra) but with two angels that descend on the city and try to grasp what it means to be human. The English title, Wings of Desire, works very well too. This romantic and philosophical film boasts splendid cinematography by veteran Henri Alekan and wonderful performances by Bruno Ganz and Otto Sander, among others. It is Wim Wenders’ most accomplished work.
The screening in a packed Draken in Gothenburg in 1988 is one of my most treasured cinematic memories. With its giant screen, this beautiful cinema was the perfect venue for the film, and the ambience was phenomenal. It didn’t get worse when Ganz and Sanders took the stage after the screening. The portrait of Berlin is interesting at a time when Potsdamer Platz was basically a hole in the ground.
This rounds up the list of the best films set in Berlin. It remains to be seen if the future will bring more memorable films from the city.
This year marks the 64th edition of the Semaine de la Critique (labelled Critics’ Week by those who don’t habla), the section dedicated to first and sophomore works. This parallel section, organized by the French Union of Film Critics, continues its tradition of discovering and championing new voices in global cinema. Under the artistic direction of Ava Cahen, now in her fourth year, Critics’ Week remains a haven for first and second feature films. This year’s selection was presented earlier today, comprising 11 films, seven of which are in the competition.
The Opening Film this year is Adam’s Interest (L’intérêt d’Adam) by Laura Wandel. Her first film, Playground (Un monde), piqued some people’s interest in the 2021 Un Certain Regard and won the FIPRESCI prize. That the sophomore film lands in Semaine de la Critique instead feels like a demotion. Starring Léa Drucker and Anamaria Vartolomei, the film deals with a mother seemingly unable to care for her malnourished son. The other special screenings are all French. Baise-en-ville, directed by and starring Martin Jauvat, is described as a working-class comedy. Whether Baise-En-Ville is adjacent to Ennui-sur-Blasé is not confirmed at the time of writing, even though I went through the entire battle dispatch.
Love Letters (Des preuves d’amour) is the debut feature by Alice Douard. The story revolves around Céline, who is expecting her firstborn. But she’s not the one who’s pregnant. In three months, her wife Nadia will give birth to their daughter. The closing film is Dandelion’s Odyssey (Planètes), which follows four dandelion achenes that survive a series of nuclear explosions destroying Earth.
Useful Ghosts by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke.
Regarding the competition films, we find the Thai film Useful Ghosts about a man whose deceased wife returns by possessing a vacuum cleaner. It is directed by Sleepless City (Ciudad Sin Sueño) is Guillermo Galoe’s first feature set in the biggest slum in Europe on the outskirts of Madrid. The cinematography is by the masterful Rui Poças. Kika is Alexe Poukine’s first film about a social worker suddenly struck by tragedy. Yet another first feature is Imago by Déni Oumar Pitsaev, an autobiographical documentary set in Georgia. Left-Handed Girl by Shih-Ching Tsou takes place in Taipei after a mother and her two daughters return there after living in the countryside.
Sleepless City by Guillermo Galoe.
Nino, by debutant Pauline Loquès, is set during three days when the titular character wanders around the streets after losing his keys. Finally, Sven Dresser’s Rietland (Reedland) portrays the reed-cutter Johan, who becomes obsessed with the murder of a teenage girl.
The Semaine de la Critique 2025 will take place from May 14 to 22. The jury president, Rodrigo Sorogoyen, will be joined by Jihane Bougrine, French-Canadian cinematographer Josée Deshaies, Indonesian producer Yulia Evina Bhara, and Oscar-winning British actor Daniel Kaluuya.
This year marks the 64th edition of the Semaine de la Critique (labelled Critics’ Week by those who don’t habla), the section dedicated to first and sophomore works. This parallel section, organized by the French Union of Film Critics, continues its tradition of discovering and championing new voices in global cinema. Under the artistic direction of Ava Cahen, now in her fourth year, Critics’ Week remains a haven for first and second feature films. This year’s selection was presented earlier today, comprising 11 films, seven of which are in the competition.
The Opening Film this year is Adam’s Interest (L’intérêt d’Adam) by Laura Wandel. Her first film, Playground (Un monde), piqued some people’s interest in the 2021 Un Certain Regard and won the FIPRESCI prize. That the sophomore film lands in Semaine de la Critique instead feels like a demotion. Starring Léa Drucker and Anamaria Vartolomei, the film deals with a mother seemingly unable to care for her malnourished son. The other special screenings are all French. Baise-en-ville, directed by and starring Martin Jauvat, is described as a working-class comedy. Whether Baise-En-Ville is adjacent to Ennui-sur-Blasé is not confirmed at the time of writing, even though I went through the entire battle dispatch.
Love Letters (Des preuves d’amour) is the debut feature by Alice Douard. The story revolves around Céline, who is expecting her firstborn. But she’s not the one who’s pregnant. In three months, her wife Nadia will give birth to their daughter. The closing film is Dandelion’s Odyssey (Planètes), which follows four dandelion achenes that survive a series of nuclear explosions destroying Earth.
Useful Ghosts by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke.
Regarding the competition films, we find the Thai film Useful Ghosts about a man whose deceased wife returns by possessing a vacuum cleaner. It is directed by Sleepless City (Ciudad Sin Sueño) is Guillermo Galoe’s first feature set in the biggest slum in Europe on the outskirts of Madrid. The cinematography is by the masterful Rui Poças. Kika is Alexe Poukine’s first film about a social worker suddenly struck by tragedy. Yet another first feature is Imago by Déni Oumar Pitsaev, an autobiographical documentary set in Georgia. Left-Handed Girl by Shih-Ching Tsou takes place in Taipei after a mother and her two daughters return there after living in the countryside.
Sleepless City by Guillermo Galoe.
Nino, by debutant Pauline Loquès, is set during three days when the titular character wanders around the streets after losing his keys. Finally, Sven Dresser’s Rietland (Reedland) portrays the reed-cutter Johan, who becomes obsessed with the murder of a teenage girl.
The Semaine de la Critique 2025 will take place from May 14 to 22. The jury president, Rodrigo Sorogoyen, will be joined by Jihane Bougrine, French-Canadian cinematographer Josée Deshaies, Indonesian producer Yulia Evina Bhara, and Oscar-winning British actor Daniel Kaluuya.
Today, the Berlinale Independent Juries prizes were awarded. There are several sections under this umbrella, and the awards were given out as follows:
PRIZES OF THE ECUMENICAL JURY
These awards were handed out in three sections. The Competition prize went to O último azul (The Blue Trail). The Panorama Award went to The Heart Is a Muscle, while the Forum prize was given to Holding Liat.
Gabriel Mascaro, director of O ùltimo azul (The Blue Trail)
PRIZES OF THE FIPRESCI JURY
The FIPRESCI awards were given to four sections. The Competition prize went to Drømmer (Dreams). The Panorama prize was given to Bajo las banderas, el sol (Under the Flags, the Sun). The Forum award went to La memoria de las mariposas (The Memory of Butterflies). The last prize for the new section, Perspectives, was given to Kaj ti je deklica (Little Trouble Girls).
TEDDY AWARDS
The prize for Best feature film went to Lesbian Space Princess. Best Documentary/Essay Film was awarded to Satanische Sau (Satanic Sow) by veteran Rosa von Praunheim. Best Short Film was given to Lloyd Wong, Unfinished. The Jury Award was given to Wenn du Angst hast nimmst du dein Herz in den Mund und lächelst (If You Are Afraid You Put Your Heart into Your Mouth and Smile). That film also took the prize for the Title that roll of Your Tongue. Finally, a Special Teddy Award was handed out to Todd Hayes, the jury president of the main competition this year.
GUILD FILM PRIZE
Dag Johan Haugerud won his second award for Drømmer (Dreams (Sex Love)) when he was given the Guild Film Prize. I’m slightly puzzled by these awards, but it might be seen as a soothing film in troubled times.
Drømmer (Dreams (Sex Love)
CICAE ART CINEMA AWARD
The Forum prize was yet another win for Wenn du Angst hast nimmst du dein Herz in den Mund und lächelst (If You Are Afraid You Put Your Heart into Your Mouth and Smile). The Panorama Award went to Sorda (Deaf). The latter won the PANORAMA AUDIENCE AWARD for feature film as well. The Audience prize for best documentary was given to Die Möllner Briefe (The Moelln Letters).
Regarding other awards, Hysteria by Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay was given the LABEL EUROPA CINEMAS. Die Möllner Briefe (The Moelln Letters) scored another win with the AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL FILM AWARD. The HEINER CAROW PRIZE was given to Palliativstation (Palliative Care Unit) by Philipp Döring.
Two German newspapers have their own READERS‘ JURY AWARD. The one from Berliner Morgenpost meant a third win for O último azul (The Blue Trail), while the prize from TAGESSPIEGEL went to The Swan Song of Fedor Ozerov.
All of the awards from the independent juries and further information can be found here.
The 2025 Berlinale Awards were presented on February 22. It was the 75th edition of the festival and the first under the reign of Tricia Tuttle. The jury president, Todd Haynes and his jury members had a thankless task since the competition selection was particularly uninspired this year.
Berlinale Awards overview
The Golden Bear went to Drømmer (Dreams (Sex Love)), directed by Norwegian filmmaker Dag Johan Haugerud. The inclusion of the film in the competition was surprising since it had already opened in Norwegian cinemas in October. It is also the second film in the trilogy rather than the third. Sex was screened in the Panorama section of last year’s Berlinale, while Love(reviewed here) was presented on the last day of the Venice Film Festival. The probable cause of the shuffle is that the initial plan was to present Drømmer at some festival between the Berlinale and Venice.
The Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize went to O último azul (The Blue Trail) by Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro. I was a fan of his 2019 Panorama entry, Divino amor, but found this work disappointing after a highly promising start.
Gabriel Mascaro with his Silver Bear for O último azul (The Blue Trail).
Argentinian filmmaker Iván Fund won the Silver Bear Jury Prize for El mensaje (The Message). There are things to admire in this film, but it is still a bit too insignificant and ruined by the usage of one particular piece of music. Fund’s work will not always be on my mind.
For Best Director, the Silver Bear was awarded to Huo Meng for his sophomore film, Sheng xi zhi di (Living the Land). It’s a film I have yet to watch.
The Silver Bear Jury Prize for El mensaje (The Message) being touched by Iván Fund.
Acting accolades lit up the ceremony, with Rose Byrne earning the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, directed by Mary Bronstein. This was the other of the two films in the competition that was not a world premiere. Bronstein’s film premiered at Sundance shortly before the Berlinale. Andrew Scott took the Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance in Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon.
The Silver Bear for Best Screenplay went to Radu Jude for Kontinental ’25. The Romanian auteur is no stranger to the Berlinale and inexplicably won the Golden Bear in 2021 for Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn. His new film will not surprise anyone who knows the director’s work but boasts a strong performance by Eszter Tompa.
Actress Eszter Tompa and director Rade Jude in the middle representing Kontinental ’25
Finally, the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution honoured the creative ensemble behind La Tour de glace (The Ice Tower), directed by Lucile Hadžihalilović. This is the most inexplicable of the awards. Like the director’s previous films, it relies on mood rather than a cohesive style and moves at a glacial pace (no pun intended).
The Berlinale 2025 winners were not exciting and, in some ways, predictable. That Todd Haynes would appreciate the queer-themed Drømmer is hardly a shock, but the awards for Jude’s and, above all, Hadžihalilović’s film are not easy to comprehend. As I wrote before, Haugerud’s film won two prizes at the Independent Awards earlier in the day. Personally, I find Haugerud’s trio superficial beyond belief. I’ve been wondering what makes his films so attractive in some quarters and have reached the disheartening conclusion that the films are the cinematic equivalent of a comfort blanket. Cinematic might not be the apt choice of words for these films devoid of cinematic qualities.
Bruno Forzani, Hélène Cattet, and Fabio Testi.
Regarding films that should have won awards or snubs to descend to Oscar lingo, the most glaring omission is Reflet dans un diamant mort (Reflection in a Dead Diamond) by Bruno Forzani and Hélène Cattet. Reflections is the operative word in this masterful amalgamation of styles, taking its starting point in Italian sixties films. There will be a review and an interview with the directors with no hint of disapproval published soon on these pages. Yunanis another film that could have won an award. Even though it was hampered by Tarrismes with a tad too obvious references, it was indisputably one of the better films in the competition.
Tricia Tuttle’s first edition may have worked well regarding the market side, but when it comes to the film selections, there remains plenty of work that needs to be done.
