The Berlin Film Festival prides itself on being a political event, which dates back to its inception in 1951 as a beacon of democracy in West Berlin, surrounded by Communist East Germany in the Cold War era.
This year’s edition, the festival’s 75th, takes place in the final two weeks of a federal election in Germany that is expected to see a lurch to the right, with the right-wing Alternative for Germany party doubling down on its anti-refugee rhetoric. This makes the position of the director of the Berlinale, as it is known locally, all the more challenging, especially as the director reports to the German federal government and the festival derives the bulk of its funding from the federal government and the state of Berlin.
“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”
Courtesy of Logan White/A24
This awkward relationship with lawmakers was graphically illustrated last year when the Berlin mayor Kai Wegner alleged that remarks made by award winners on stage at the Berlinale closing ceremony criticizing the Israeli government were antisemitic, a view echoed by other politicians as well as Israel’s ambassador to Germany. The filmmakers rejected these accusations, but the festival distanced itself from their onstage pronouncements, stating, “The sometimes one-sided and activist statements made by award winners were an expression of individual personal opinions. They in no way reflect the festival’s position.” But it then added: “The Berlinale sees itself – today, as in the past – as a platform for open dialogue across cultures and countries. We must therefore also tolerate opinions and statements that contradict our own opinions.”
This year, the Berlinale has a new chief, Tricia Tuttle, who is originally from North Carolina, although she moved to London in the 1990s, and then worked at BAFTA before joining the British Film Institute in 2013 as deputy head of festivals, with BFI London Film Festival among her stable of events. In 2018, she became director of BFI festivals, and head of BFI London Film Festival, leaving in 2022, after which she joined the U.K.’s prestigious National Film and TV School.
“We Believe You”
Courtesy of Makintosh Films
Speaking to Variety, she describes her ideal relationship with politicians as “open, accessible, supportive,” and adds, “German politicians know how important [the Berlinale] is to Germany. These relationships are not new to me. I was in London and worked with the BFI. The London Film Festival is part of the BFI, which has an arm’s length relationship with the government and the BFI gets a lot of its funding from the government. I’ve always managed to have good, collegiate, open relationships with our funders.” She illustrates the point by mentioning that the German federal government recently gave the Berlinale an additional 1.9 million euros ($1.98 million) for this year, which allowed it to balance its budget.
Tuttle demonstrated her mettle when, in an Instagram post last year, she defended the filmmakers at the center of the Berlinale awards night furor, stating their views were not antisemitic. In subsequent press interviews, she hasn’t shied away from that position.
“The Light”
Courtesy of Frederic Batier/X Verleih
She tells Variety she has been able to reassure filmmakers that they will be able to speak freely at the festival, albeit with a caveat. “It’s important that filmmakers know that we really want to create a platform where people can express different points of view, even contested points of view,” she says. “We have different laws around speech in Germany, as does every country. So, it’s important that we also make people aware of what those laws are. But, yes, I think as much as possible, I’ve been able to reassure people when I speak to them.” (See news on latest festival statement here.)
That said, she seems to be getting weary of answering questions about politics and has expressed a desire to focus instead on films.
Tuttle sums up her view on the state of independent cinema with one word: “exciting.” Referring to the awards season, she says, “The fact that so many films have been in the conversation feels different. It feels like we’re broadening out.” She adds, “While we’re all struggling against a changing industry and a really, really challenging financial environment, filmmakers have not quit making bold and exciting independent cinema, right?”
“Timestamp”
Courtesy of Oleksandr Roshchyn
Although she and her programming team, which includes Michael Stütz and Jacqueline Lyanga as co-directors of film programming, have watched thousands of films in the past year – 8,086 were submitted – she says “it’s hard to identify patterns” in contemporary cinema, “but something that’s interesting to me, formally, there are a few films that have a really singular point of view, and it’s the point of view of the filmmaker, but it’s also a narrative point of view and a character’s point of view.”
She cites films like Mary Bronstein’s “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” which has its international premiere in Berlin’s competition. “It’s a film that asks us to literally see and feel what another person is experiencing in a way that’s really exciting in terms of its cinematic language.”
She also highlights Arnaud Dufeys and Charlotte Devillers’ “We Believe You,” which is in Perspectives, a section for debut features. “It does a similar thing. It restrains you with its cinematic language, so that you feel something that is incredibly visceral and sharp, and it’s what the characters are feeling. I’ve seen that in quite a few films this year and it’s really exciting.”
“Kontinental ’25”
Courtesy of Raluca Munteanu
She adds, “I think if there’s a theme emerging, it’s that filmmakers are noting that we live in a crazy, divisive world, and they’re responding to that in lots of different ways.” She mentions the festival’s opening film, Tom Tykwer’s “The Light,” which is in Berlinale Special Gala, as an example of this. “He is noting this about the world, and not turning away from how difficult it is, but he’s also finding joy and connection in this.”
Kateryna Gornostai’s documentary “Timestamp,” which is in competition, is also doing this. “It’s set during wartime in Ukraine, and it’s focused on young people and teachers, and it doesn’t turn away from how difficult the world that they live in is, but it’s also deciding to see their resilience and their strength and the hope that is emerging in the film.
“But there are films that have a dark perspective on the world we live in. I really, really love Radu Jude’s new film, ‘Kontinental ’25’ [in competition]. It’s got a very dark worldview, but it’s brilliantly written and acted as well, as is Michel Franco’s ‘Dreams’ [also in competition.] Unsurprisingly from Michel, he’s got a very dark lens on the world, but I find his cinema very compelling, and this film is really formally precise. [Lead actor] Jessica Chastain, I think, is going to wow people at the festival as well.”
“Dreams”
Courtesy of Teorema
