The 73rd edition of the Berlin International Film Festival will take place February 16 through 26. Philippe Garrel, documentary filmmaker Nicolas Philibert, and Italian film director Giacomo Abbruzzese will represent France in Competition.
There are three French films in Competition at this year's Berlinale: On the Adamant by Nicolas Philibert, back at the festival 11 years after presenting La Maison de la radio at the event. Also back in Berlin is Philippe Garrel with his The Plough; the director was already in Competition in 2020 with The Salt of Tears. And Italian director Giacomo Abbruzzese will present his debut feature Disco Boy, majority-co-produced by France.
The latest films by Claire Simon, Vincent Dieutre, and Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche will be presented in the Forum strand, and those by Léa Fehner and Patric Chiha in Panorama. This strand opens with the animated film The Siren by Sepideh Farsi, who will also talk about the genesis of the project in the context of Berlinale Talents. Berlinale Talents will also welcome Euzhan Palcy, who recently received an honorary Oscar, for a tribute.
Most of the filmmakers mentioned will be present, as well as many of the casts and production teams. A cocktail reception with the French film teams will be organized at the Ambassade de France on February 20, in honor of French cinema at the Berlinale. During this event, actresses Vicky Krieps and Sandra Hüller will receive an award from the Ambassadeur de France in Berlin.
A tribute will be paid by the festival to Caroline Champetier on February 23, during a ceremony where the director of photography, who has worked with Leos Carax, Jacques Rivette, Arnaud Desplechin, Xavier Beauvois, Jacques Doillon, Anne Fontaine, and many others, will receive the Berlinale Camera 2023.
Prior to the festival, Unifrance will organize press screenings in its premises of some of the films presented during this edition for international journalists based in Paris.
Film market
After three editions disrupted by the pandemic, the EFM is back in face-to-face mode. Unifrance will be present with a stand in the market, which will host the following 15 companies.
- Alfama Films
- Artedis
- Coproduction Office
- France tv distribution
- Le Pacte
- Les Films du Losange
- Loco Films
- Luxbox
- Mediawan Rights
- MPM Premium
- Pyramide International
- Reservoir Docs
- SBS International
- Urban Sales
- WTFilms
An opening night cocktail reception will be hosted by Unifrance on February 17, so that French and foreign professionals can exchange, in a relaxed manner, about their current projects.
Last but not least, the talents of Unifrance's 2023 10 to Watch initiative will be showcased at Unifrance's stand at the EFM via a dedicated display. This operation will also be the subject of a focus by Screen International as part of their Berlinale dailies.
The presence of Unifrance and French professionals in Berlin is supported by the French government, the CNC, PROCIREP, and the "Choose France" label.
The French films presented at the 73th Berlinale
Competition
- Tótem by Lila Avilés (French co-production shares not specified)
- Bad Living by João Canijo (French co-production shares not specified)
- Music by Angela Schanelec (minority-French co-production)
Panorama
- The Beast in the Jungle by Patric Chiha
- The Siren by Sepideh Farsi
- Passages by Ira Sachs
- Midwives by Léa Fehner
- After by Anthony Lapia
- Sira by Apolline Traoré (French co-production shares not specified)
- The Castle by Martín Benchimol (French co-production shares not specified)
Forum
- This Is the End... by Vincent Dieutre
- Our Body by Claire Simon
- The Temple Woods Gang by Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche
- Cidade Rabat by Susana Nobre (minority-French co-production)
- El juicio by Ulises De La Orden (French co-production shares not specified)
- Where God Is Not by Mehran Tamadon (French co-production shares not specified)
- A Golden Life by Boubacar Sangaré (French co-production shares not specified)
- The Intrusion by Flora Dias, Juruna Mallon (French co-production shares not specified)
Berlinale Special
Panorama Dokumente
Retrospective
- Sound and Fury by Jean-Claude Brisseau
- Black Shack Alley/Sugar Cane Alley by Euzhan Palcy
- Vagabond by Agnès Varda
- Three Colours : Blue by Krzysztof Kieslowski
- To Our Loves by Maurice Pialat
Encounters
- Living Bad by João Canijo (French co-production shares not specified)
- Mon pire ennemi by Mehran Tamadon
- Orlando, My Political Biography by Paul B. Preciado
Forum Expanded
Perspektive Deutsches Kino
Generation 14Plus
- We Will Not Fade Away by Alisa Kovalenko
- Almamula by Juan Sebastian Torales
- Dream's Gate by Negin Ahmadi
- The Lost Boys by Zeno Graton
- Tomorrow Is a Long Time by Zhi Wei Jow
Short film - International Competition
- Sleepless Nights by Donatienne Berthereau
- A Kind of Testament by Stephen Vuillemin
- 8 by Anaïs-Tohé Commaret
- Les Chenilles by Michelle Keserwany and Noel Keserwany
Short film - Generation Competition
- Mise à nu by Lea Marie Lembke and Simon Maria Kubiena
- To Be Sisters by Anne-Sophie Gousset and Clément Céard
- Aaaah! by Osman Cerfon
- De songes au songe d’un autre miroir by Yunyi Zhu
->> The full program of the 73th Berlinale can be found at the festival's website.
