Tina Turner & The Ikettes perform at KMET 1973 in Tina (pic courtesy of Berlinale)
“If the Competition offers a picture of the cinema as it is and as it will be, we can say that the disruption brought on by the events of 2020 has led filmmakers to make the most of this situation and create deeply personal films,” commented Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian on the Berlinale 2021 selection. “This Competition is less rich in numbers but very dense in content and style.”
Two documentaries feature within the 15-film selection, all of which will compete for the Golden Bear and the Silver Bears.
Documentaries in Berlin Competition:
Herr Bachmann und seine Klasse (Mr Bachmann and His Class) by Maria Spoeth (with Dieter Bachmann and pupils of class 6b)
Germany, World premiere
Una Película de Policías (A Cop Movie) by Alonso Ruizpalacios
Mexico, World premiere
The 2021 Berlinale Special programme includes four feature docs. “Even in this year’s reduced edition, Berlinale Special delves into the extremes of the cinematic spectrum. Whether the films are the result of one filmmaker with a recognisable voice or a more cooperative work including stars we all admire, they offer the pleasure of engaging stories, current topics and personal journeys,” said Artistic Director Chatrian.
Documentaries in Berlinale Special:
Courage by Aliaksei Paluyan
Germany, World premiere, debut
Per Lucio (For Lucio) by Pietro Marcello
Italy, World premiere
Tina by Dan Lindsay, T. J. Martin
USA, World premiere
Wer wir waren (Who We Were) by Marc Bauder
Germany, World premiere
Before the February 11 announcement of Competition and Special titles, Berlinale Executive Director Mariette Rissenbeek said:
“With the 2021 Berlinale, we are breaking new ground: something like this has never taken place before. With the Industry Event in March, we are holding a digital edition of the film market, the EFM, which will provide a platform for the international film industry. Alongside the film market, Berlinale Talents, the Co-Production Market and the World Cinema Fund will all be making their programmes available to film industry professionals in a digital format. And, in the cases of Berlinale Talents and the WCF, interested members of the general public can also participate in the publicly accessible online events in March.
She added: “Then, in June, we will finally fly the flag for cinema and present the festival films to Berlin audiences in our Summer Special. We want to hold a big celebration for film fans, enchant the audience with cinema once again and offer them a feast of the senses. And we would like to do all this in partnership with Berlin cinemas and open-air cinemas so that, together with the cinema operators, we can welcome audiences back, meet the filmmakers and, thus, help to ensure that the films and their creators once again generate discussions, reflections and inspirations.
“The last few months have been a long haul for a lot of people. With our digital edition for the film industry and the press in March, we want to offer a little taste of the celebrations in June when we can all meet again in the cinema – in compliance with the hygiene and social distancing rules that will apply at that time – to exchange ideas and enjoy the films on the big screen.”
