Berlin International Film Festival — A–Z of films

Unquestionably and understandably harrowing, in places unbearably so, this reflection upon acts of murder, genocide and torture, told by the perpetrators themselves, is a masterpiece.

Zacharias Kunuk's achievement with his mainly untrained actors is astonishing. Even the sexual chemistry works.

Drawing from real life events, Tanic's docudrama gains its power from the emotionally stirring scenario and all-round naturalistic performances, which feel infused with greater honesty given that a version of this nightmare has been played out in real lif

A fairytale for old romantics everywhere, who believe that the weapons of friendship and commitment are as vital in the fight for a relationship, as love.

This is an upbeat, often hilarious, but never mawkish, celebration of love.

A fascinating meta-textual picture.

An inward, austere examination of ideas of madness, empathy and the creative impulse.

It's the boxy Apple Mac precursors that are the real stars in many ways. It's hard not to feel a warm glow of affection for them, assuming you are a viewer of a certain age.

In some ways she may be a monster, but Netzer and co-writer Radulescu find a path for Cornelia that steers clear of outright condemnation. Her tragic devotion to her son is so absolute that she retains our pity.

The more problematic aspects of the film stem from a narrative that cannot sustain the inventiveness of the central conceit and which peters out before the end.

A brilliant central performance from Robin Weigert.

One for keeping the little ones happy on a damp afternoon.

Dark Blood is an offbeat film no one would call formally perfect, yet the depths it gutsily goes for and its strange vein of comedy make it one to think about and enjoy

The emphasis here is on the immediate and indirect ecological effects, which the film renders in aesthetic terms without ever becoming a compelling interrogation in itself.

Despite the seemingly grim subject matter, Gordon-Levitt goes the upbeat route with his debut feature.

You can enter through the objects, like an Eames chair or three pairs of Ray Bans, bought online. Or through the religious conflict inherent in a bacon bagel.

Gloria has the instincts of an eagle and the courage to fly.

Wong Kar Wai knows how to frame faces like no other, with embroidered collars, white straw fedoras, a rowdy monkey, cotton flowers and words escaping lips that are like song.

A poetic and tense debut that explores not so much the coming of age as the coming of mortality.

This is a curious film, an important film and, in its oblique way, a very funny film.

The harrowing latter half of the film could easily have become alienating, but Seyfried makes it compelling.

This is first and foremost a celebration of life and life cycles but Heathcote's film also touches on deeper political issues surrounding the livelihoods of farmers.

Nords gets an excellent performance from Konovalovs - contrasting the enjoyment of the wide open spaces of his home city at night with the stress that waits for him inside his home or school.

Kluijfhout captures a sense of both the shellfish's elegance and mystery.

This apparently meandering, unfocused story conceals an acutely observed portrait of a society in flux.

Lamas highlights the power of the much-maligned 'talking head' format of documentary while simultaneously striking out into less clearly defined territory aided by the shadowy life story of that same man.

Pauline Etienne sweeps all before her as Suzanne Simonin, a nun who wants none of it.

We lurch between environments where there is no freedom at all and where one might get away with anything, and the effect is morally dizzying.

Like Saili himself, this proves to be a thoughtful little gem.

Seidl manages to make this ordeal excruciating to watch without ever being graphic, visually or even narratively.

Pluto is an oddly funny film - inhabiting as isolated a world as its titular celestial body.

The characters may be variously plagued by debt, illness and emotional strain but they also prove there is conoslation in friendship and that a single shared chocolate can be more important and touching than a thousand words.

There are films that stick with you. Ones that make an impression even if it wasn’t a pleasant one. This is maybe one of those.

The end result is a kind of funny/kind of sad character study that asks questions about our relationships with others and our environment.

At its core, this is a character study, with the contradictory American character summed up in one man.

Barreto's film is a stylish feast for the eyes, registering the nuances of the 50s turning into the 60s.

A very personal film that takes on big themes almost incidentally, Rock The Casbah is remarkable for the balance it strikes between Israeli and Arab perspectives, often deriving sly humour from the otherwise tragic culture clash.

Kim Longinotto's documentary about the Tamil poet Salma burns with both indignation and a profound melancholy.

Soderbergh, just as he did with his 2011 film Contagion shows that the disaster you expected safely elsewhere, is right in front of you.

The movie works by getting under your skin in ways that you only realise when the situation turns sour.

Zürcher's film may not follow traditional storytelling lines but it is bold in form and, for all its lack of story, memorable in content.

This is storytelling in its truest sense and the cast rise to the occasion.

The subject of understanding and mystery prove a sticking point, with the film remaining so wilfully opaque that it is more frustrating than rewarding by the end credits.

Côté has always had a skill for subverting expectations and here he manages to slide his film from black comedy to outright horror with the smoothness of a snake.

Being disorientated is part of the game of art - from William Shakespeare to the present.

Valle’s deadpan comedy demonstrates a master image-maker at work.

Forgetting Ain El-Heweh seems to be something the rest of the world has got good act, Fleifel's heart-felt film is a powerful reminder.