The Berlin International Film Festival will open its doors February 9, with the actress Charlotte Rampling as this year’s Jury President. 25 French films will be presented in the various festival sections.
For the first time this year, only one majority-French production is included in the Competition: Claude Chabrol, a veteran of this festival at which he has been honored many times, will present his latest opus, “L'Ivresse du pouvoir,” in the presence of actress Isabelle Huppert. “El Custodia” Rodrigo Moreno (Argentina-Germany-France) and “Romanzo Criminale” by Michele Placido (Italy-UK-France) will also feature in the Competition.
As regards French short films, Guillaume Martinez will be presenting “Gratte-Papier.” The eagerly awaited “The Science of Sleep” by Michel Gondry will be screened out of competition. The following films will also be presented in the Berlinale Special Section: “Klimt” by Raoul Ruiz (Austria-Germany-UK-France), as well as “Un ami parfait” by Francis Girod and Humbert Balsan, as part of a tribute to this producer, who died last year. The Panorama Section includes “4 Etoiles” by Christian Vincent, “Camping sauvage” by Christophe Ali and Nicolas Bonilauri, “Les Oiseaux du ciel” by Eliane de la Tour, “Derecho de familia” by Daniel Burman (Argentina-Italy-France) and “U Nergiz Biskivin” by Masoud Arif Salih and Heussein Hassan Ali (Iraq-France). A large selection of co-productions will also be screened in the Forum of Young Cinema, including “De Particulier à particulier” by Brice Cauvin, “Schuss!” by Nicolas Rey, “Au delà de la haine” by Olivier Meyrou, “L'Appel des arènes” by Cheikh Ndiaye (Senegal-Morocco-France), “Barakat!” by Djamila Sahraoui (France-Algeria), “Congo River” by Thierry Michel (Belgium-France), “Là-bas” by Chantal Akerman (Israel- France), “News from Home” by Amos Gitai (Israel-France-Belgium) and “Tertium non datur” by Lucian Pintilie (France-Romania). And finally, “00h17” by Xavier de Choudens and “Marock” by Laïla Marrakchi will be presented in the Children’s Section, Kinderfilm / + 14.
The following French artists and professionals, among others, will be in Berlin for the event: Chantal Akerman, Carole Bouquet, Isabelle Carré, Eliane de la Tour, Isabelle Huppert, Isild Le Besco, Djamilou Sahraoui, François Berléand, Patrick Bruel, Brice Cauvin, Claude Chabrol, François Cluzet, Antoine de Caunes, Michel Gondry, Denis Lavant, Guillaume Martinez, Olivier Meyrou, Thierry Michel, Cheik Ndiaye and Nicolas Rey.
As at last year’s event, Unifrance will be offering a reception facility for French artists and industry professionals, and will be organizing press relations with the German and foreign media for films that have not yet secured a local distributor.
Finally, at the new Film Market located at the Martin Gropius Bau, Unifrance’s umbrella stand will be accommodating 14 companies: ARP, Bac Films, Gemini, Les Films du Losange, Limelight, M6 DA, Memento Films International, MK2, Onoma, Pyramide International, Rezo Films International, Roissy Films, The Coproduction Office and Wide. 10 other French companies will also be in Berlin, operating from their own stands: Cinexport, Celluloïd Dreams, Europacorp, Exception Wild Bunch, Films Distribution, Gaumont, Pathé Distribution, Studiocanal, TF1 International and UGC International.
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