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Berlin International Film Festival · 2024

Berlin International Film Festival 2024

Encounters

Programme

15 films · 1 review

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Arcadia

Neurologist Katerina accompanies Yannis, a retired doctor, to identify the victim of a car accident. Once there, she sees her worst suspicions confirmed.

(Country: Greece, Bulgaria, US; Year: 2023; Director: Yorgos Zois; Writer: Konstantina Kotzamani, Yorgos Zois; Stars: Vangelis Mourikis, Angeliki Papoulia, Elena Topalidou, Nikolas Papagiannis, Vangelis Evangelinos)

Cidade; Campo

Two tales of migration, memories and ghosts. After a disaster floods her land, Joana moves to São Paulo and tries to restart her life. Following the death of her father, Flavia moves to his farm in the country with her wife Mara.

(Country: Brazil, France, Germany; Year: 2024; Director: Juliana Rojas; Writer: Juliana Rojas; Stars: Fernanda Vianna, Mirella Façanha, Bruna Linzmeyer, Kalleb Oliveria, Andrea Marquee, Preta Ferreira, Marcos de Andrade, Nilcéia Vicente, Raquel Ferreira, Maia de Paiva, Rita Niza, Brenda Lígia, Majeca Angelucci, Felipe Kenji, Andréia Pires)

Demba

Demba is about to retire. He realises he is unable to simply “shake off” his wife’s death. As he awkwardly tries to deal with his conflicting emotions, he discovers a new connection with his son.

(Country: Germany, Senegal; Year: 2024; Director: Mamadou Dia; Writer: Mamadou Dia; Stars: Aicha Talla, Ben Mahmoud Mbow, Saikou Lo, Awa Djiga Kane, Mamadou Sylla)

Direct Action

Documents the everyday lives of one of the most high-profile militant activist communities in France and asks whether the success of a radical protest movement can offer a path through the climate crisis.

(Country: France, Germany; Year: 2024; Director: Guillaume Cailleau, Ben Russell)

The Fable

One day, Dev discovers trees have been burnt down in his orchard in the Indian Himalayas. Despite all his efforts, bigger and bigger fires break out, which ultimately leads to Dev having to face the truth about himself and his family.

(Country: India, US; Year: 2024; Director: Raam Reddy; Writer: Raam Reddy; Stars: Manoj Bajpayee, Priyanka Bose, Tillotama Shome, Deepak Dobriyal, Hiral Sidhu, Awan Pookot)

A Family (Une Famille)

Cinematographic journey of French novelist Christine Angot, who was abused by her father for years.

(Country: France; Year: 2024; Director: Christine Angot; Writer: Christine Angot)

Favoriten

Documentary about a primary class in Vienna shot across three years.

(Country: Austria; Year: 2024; Director: Ruth Beckermann; Writer: Ruth Beckermann, Elisabeth Menasse; Stars: Ilkay Idiskut)

The Great Yawn Of History (Khamyazeye bozorg)

Review preview for The Great Yawn Of History

The clever dialogue and spirited performances find humour amid a generational discord developed over a visually striking journey.

Sergiu Inizian · 3.5 out of 5
A religious man dreams of finding gold coins hidden in a cave. Aware that his belief prohibits him from claiming the treasure, he hires a non-religious young man to assist in its retrieval.

(Country: Iran; Year: 2024; Director: Aliyar Rasti; Writer: Aliyar Rasti; Stars: Saber Abar, Mohammad Aghebati, Seyyed Mehrdad Ziaei, Mahin Sadri, Amirhossein Hosseini)

Full review

Hands In The Fire (Mãos no fogo)

While exploring old manor houses along the Douro River, the young film student Maria do Mar finds herself trapped in a house of horrors.

(Country: Portugal; Year: 2024; Director: Margarida Gil; Writer: Margarida Gil; Stars: Marcello Urgeghe, Rita Durão, Sofia Vilariço, Adelaide Teixeira, Dinis Gomes, Carolina Campanela, Ricardo Aibéo, Francisco Vistas, Sara Santos, Elgar do Rosário, André Gomes)

Ivo

A palliative care nurse is compromised by her relationship.

(Country: Germany; Year: 2024; Director: Eva Trobisch; Writer: Eva Trobisch; Stars: Pia Hierzegger, Minna Wündrich, Lukas Turtur, Lilli Lacher, Johann Campean)

Matt And Mara

Mara, a young professor, is struggling with marital problems when she suddenly meets Matt, a man from her past, who wanders onto her university campus.

(Country: Canada; Year: 2024; Director: Kazik Radwanski; Writer: Kazik Radwanski; Stars: Matt Johnson, Simon Reynolds, Deragh Campbell, Georgia Tannis, Jim Phu, Alejandra Zapico, Cristina Paoletta, Kinshuk Dhingra, Linda Theresa Young, Jack Nguyen)

Sleep With Your Eyes Open (Dormir de olhos abertos)

A coastal city in Brazil. Fu Ang, Kai and Xiao Xin rarely meet in this quiet comedy of misunderstandings. Yet during a hot, slow summer, delicate bonds grow between them.

(Country: Brazil, Taiwan, Argentina, Germany; Year: 2024; Director: Nele Wohlatz; Writer: Pío Longo, Nele Wohlatz; Stars: Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Liao Kai Ro, Shin-Hong Wang, Chen Xiao Xin, Lu Yang Zong)

Some Rain Must Fall (Kong fang jian li de nv ren)

Cai, a 45-year-old housewife from the Chinese middle classes, is in a crisis. She no longer knows who she is or who she wants to be. Following a seemingly trivial incident, her life goes off the rails and she heads into an uncertain future.

(Country: China, US; Year: 2024; Director: Qiu Yang; Writer: Qiu Yang; Stars: Yu Aier, Yibo Wei, Di Shike, Gu Tingxiu, Xu Tianyi)

Through The Graves The Wind Is Blowing

A frustrated detective tries to solve a series of murders in Split, Croatia, where the break-up of Yugoslavia has left its mark.

(Country: US; Year: 2024; Director: Travis Wilkerson; Writer: Ivan Peric, Travis Wilkerson; Stars: Travis Wilkerson, Ivan Peric, Matilda Jane Wilkerson, Dalton Wilkerson)

You Burn Me (Tú me abrasas)

An adaptation of a chapter from Cesare Pavese’s Dialoghi con Leucò in which the Greek poet Sappho and the nymph Britomartis talk of desire and death.

(Country: Argentina, Spain; Year: 2024; Director: Matías Piñeiro; Writer: Matías Piñeiro; Stars: Gabi Saidón, María Villar, María Inês Gonçalves, Agustina Muñoz, Ana Cris Barragán)