Instead of taking place in freezing February, the film festival's Summer Special is an open-air celebration. Stars, awards, red carpet: Here's what to expect.
A digital preview visualization of the Museum Island open-air cinema
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1. The idea behind the 'Summer Special'
Due to the pandemic, the Berlin International Film Festival, also known as the Berlinale, was split into two separate events.
The first part, an online version of the festival, was held in March and restricted to film industry professionals and the press in order to avoid completely cancelling the European Film Market, which is one of the world's top three meeting places of the international film and media industries and is held every year during the Berlinale.
Set from June 9-20, the Summer Special now features outdoor public screenings of 126 films from the Berlinale's selection.
2. The locations and the red carpet
The films will be shown in 16 open-air cinemas spread out throughout the city.
The Berlinale's central location will be a specially created open-air cinema on Berlin's Museum Island, where the festival's red carpet has been rolled out. In the background, city landmarks such as the TV Tower and the Berlin Cathedral contribute to this year's particular atmosphere.
3. The opening film
The festival will kick off with a red carpet gala and a screening of The Mauritanian. Directed by Kevin Macdonald, the film is based on the true story of Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a man from Mauritania who was detained without charge for 14 years in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
It stars Tahar Rahim and Jodie Foster, who won a Golden Globe for her supporting role in the film, which also got five BAFTA nominations.
Jodie Foster's performance in 'The Mauritanian' was recognized with a Golden GlobeImage: STX International/Tobis
With travel being complicated by the pandemic, Foster will not be attending the event. However, she will send in a video greeting for the event, as will the film's director and Benedict Cumberbatch, who also appears in The Mauritanian.
Mohamedou Ould Slahi's attorney, Nancy Hollander (played by Foster), will personally introduce the film at the opening event. Slahi's wife, American human rights lawyer Kitty Austin, who happens to live in Berlin, is also to take part. But Slahi himself, who was sent back to Mauritania following his release from Guantanamo, isn't allowed to travel to Germany — not even for the special screening of his own life story.
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4. The stars
The festival will nevertheless allow several productions to celebrate a red carpet premiere with their cast and crew — especially the German titles in the Competition section.
That includes actor Daniel Brühl's directorial debut, a dark comedy titled Next Door. Brühl also stars in his film, alongside Peter Kurth (also known for his role as detective Bruno Wolter in Babylon Berlin).
Brühl's film 'Next Door' is a dark comedy about gentrification in BerlinImage: Reiner Bajo
Dominik Graf's Fabian — Going to the Dogs, based on the 1931 novel by Erich Kästner, will also celebrate its official premiere. In the title role, Tom Schilling portrays a young man struggling to find his place in a morally decaying Berlin, just before the Nazis took power.
The comedy I'm Your Man, directed by Maria Schrader (Unorthodox), tells the story of a humanoid robot, played by Dan Stevens, designed to be the perfect romantic partner of a skeptical academic, portrayed by Maren Eggert, who won the Silver Bear for Best Actor for her performance.
Altogether, 332 guest directors and members of film teams have confirmed that they will also be in Berlin to personally present their films during the Summer Special.
5. The awards
The International Jury already made their Competition award selections in March; the Golden and Silver Bears will be handed out during a ceremony on June 13.
Some other award winners have only just been named: The Berlinale Documentary Award goes to Alice Diop's We, while the GWFF Best First Feature Award is given to The Scary of Sixty-First by Dasha Nekrasova.
Documentary highlights at the Berlinale
Beyond prizes given in different sections, the Berlinale now also has a distinct prize recognizing a documentary film. It has been awarded to Alice Diop's "We."
Image: Sylvain Verdet
'We'
Already recognized with the prize for best film in the Encounters section in March, Alice Diop's film "We" has now also been named the recipient of the Berlinale Documentary Award. Praised by the jury for her "curiosity about the human condition and her thoughtful language," Diop explores the suburban spaces around Paris through stories revealing how past divisions still haunt France's present.
Image: Sylvain Verdet
'The First 54 Years – An Abbreviated Manual for Military Occupation'
The Berlinale Documentary Award jury also gave a special mention to this film, described by "Screen Daily" as "essential viewing for anyone who seeks enlightenment on the complexities and impasses of Middle East conflict." Israeli director Avi Mograbi exposes the catastrophe of the occupation of the Palestinian territories through interviews with former Israeli soldiers in Gaza and the West Bank.
Image: Avi Mograbi
'Mr Bachmann and His Class'
Maria Speth's hopeful take on education already won the Silver Bear Jury Prize. Even though it is nearly four hours long, the half-day class is a captivating learning experience. In a multicultural German town, teacher Dieter Bachmann, a 64-year-old who stayed young at heart, leads a group of children with roots in 12 countries.
Image: Madonnen Film
'A Cop Movie'
The police force is one of the most controversial institutions in Mexico. Director Alonso Ruizpalacios explores what it means to be a cop in Mexico City in this Netflix production. Combining documentary and role-playing scenes, this is definitely not your typical "cop movie." The Berlinale jury recognized Yibran Asuad's exceptional editing work in this film.
Image: No Ficcion
'Courage'
Exploring the role of independent artists in an autocratic country, Aliaksei Paluyan's film follows three actors of the Free Belarus Theater in Minsk as they take part in the mass protests following the contested presidential elections in Belarus. The documentary is part of the Berlinale Special section and has also been shown at various international festivals.
Image: Living Pictures Production
'Miguel's War'
Filmmaker Eliane Raheb combines quirky animations, interviews and archive material in this profile of a man who was born in 1963 to a conservative, Catholic Lebanese family. As that wasn't quite compatible with his homosexuality, Miguel fled to Spain 37 years ago. The documentary follows him as he returns to his home country to dissect the traumas of his past.
Image: ITAR productions
'As I Want'
A rally marking the second anniversary of the Egyptian revolution was tainted by a series of violent sexual assaults. Women reacted by taking to the streets. As a form of protection, Samaher Alqadi decided to take her camera with her as she joined in the protest, leading her to create this hard-hitting political documentary.
Image: Prophecy Films
'Tina'
Although this HBO documentary is not among the films nominated for the Berlinale Documentary Award, the ultimate profile of superstar Tina Turner's storied life generated a lot of buzz during the industry event and is also among the works screened in the Berlinale Special section.
Image: Rhonda Graam
'A River Runs, Turns, Erases, Replaces'
Wuhan became infamously associated with the outbreak of the coronavirus, but Shengze Zhu's portrait of the sprawling metropolis's relationship to the Yangtze River and the impact of industrialization is not about the pandemic itself. Still, its meditative tone definitely reflects the atmosphere of grief of the past year. It won the Caligari Film Prize, which goes to a film in the Forum section.
Image: BURN THE FILM
'Dirty Feathers'
Carlos Alfonso Corral's debut documentary feature is a raw and lyrical profile of a homeless community living by the US-Mexico border. The marginalized protagonists have been abandoned by the system, and the black-and-white cinematography of the film emphasizes their vulnerability due to trauma, addiction and police violence.
Image: Cine Candela
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The audience is also invited to decide on their own Competition favorite. Following the principle of the audience award of the Panorama section, which has been presented annually since 1999, cinema-goers can rate this year the films they have viewed in the Competition section. The Audience Award presentation will be held on June 20.
6. The COVID-related restrictions
A series of hygiene measures have been put in place to protect cinema-goers. Their tickets are personalized and allocated to a specific seat; groups of maximum two people are allowed to sit next to each other.
Everyone must also provide proof of a recent negative COVID quick test result, vaccination completed over 14 days ago or recovery from the virus within the last six months.
Rolling out the red carpet for the Summer SpecialImage: Christoph Soeder/dpa/picture alliance
7. The financial impact of the pandemic
The Summer Special has around 60,000 tickets for screenings. Many events were quickly sold out. But a regular Berlinale has some 330,00 tickets available, and this year's event does not have as many sponsors as usual.
To compensate for the festival's losses, the German federal government has already contributed an extra €10 million ($12 million) to its budget, according to German press agency dpa.
"The major financial stimuli are worthwhile," said Commissioner for Culture and the Media Monika Grütters, adding, "We want to provide a strong cultural and political signal, and allow the relaunch of the cultural industry to be visible."
Berlinale's Golden Bear goes to 'Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn'
Along with Radu Jude's Golden Bear-winning film, find out more about the Silver Bear winners of the Berlin International Film Festival's competition.
Image: Silviu Ghetie/Micro Film 2021
Golden Bear for 'Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn'
Definitely not safe for work: Its opening scene is a homemade sex tape. But for Radu Jude, finding this material more obscene than society's racism, anti-Semitism and nationalism is what's perverse. The Romanian director had won a Silver Bear in 2015 with "Aferim"; this film is for those who enjoy transgressive experiments — like the jury, who praised the way it captures the pandemic's zeitgeist.
Image: Silviu Ghetie/Micro Film 2021
Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize: 'Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy'
Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi's film is built in three episodes centering on female characters. A coincidental love triangle, an unsuccessful seduction trap, and an encounter emerging from a mix-up: The short stories mirror each other, and the work shines through its exquisitely slick mise en scène.
Image: 2021 Neopa/Fictive
Silver Bear Jury Prize: 'Mr Bachmann and His Class'
Maria Speth's documentary is nearly four hours long, but the half-day class is a captivating learning experience. In a multicultural German town, the 64-year-old teacher Dieter Bachmann leads a group of children with roots in 12 countries. "Mr Bachmann and His Class" is a hopeful take on how education can change everything in the thorny concept of integration.
Image: Madonnen Film
Silver Bear for Best Director: 'Natural Light'
Hungarian filmmaker Denes Nagy explores the human soul through this slow-paced World War II drama set in 1943. Instead of being driven by the action of the conflict, the film focuses on the moral dilemma of a Hungarian soldier, allied with Nazi Germany, who is reluctantly called to take command of his company following an ambush.
Image: Tamás Dobos
Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution: 'A Cop Movie'
The police force is one of the most controversial institutions in Mexico. Director Alonso Ruizpalacios explores what it means to be a cop in Mexico City in this Netflix production. Combining documentary and role-playing scenes, this is definitely not your typical "cop movie." The Berlinale jury recognized Yibran Asuad's exceptional editing work in this film.
Image: No Ficcion
Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance: 'I'm Your Man'
Director Maria Schrader, renowned for the series "Unorthodox," explores how a rational woman (Maren Eggert) deals with a three-week experiment in which she lives with a humanoid robot programmed to be her perfect romantic partner (Dan Stevens). While most critics praised Stevens for perfectly impersonating an AI man, the jury was most impressed by Eggert's subtle performance.
Image: Christine Fenzl
Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance: 'Forest – I See You Everywhere'
"Forest – I See You Everywhere" by Hungarian director Bence Fliegauf is composed of a series of vignettes. The first one centers on a girl who confronts her father, accusing him of being responsible for her mother's death. The members of the jury were enchanted by Lilla Kizlinger's performance, which they found "especially strong and memorable."
Image: Akos Nyoszoli and Matyas Gyuricza
Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: 'Introduction'
Even though story of "Introduction" is relatively simple, the jury was charmed by its efficient storytelling, through which "a hidden truth of human life is suddenly revealed, bright and lucid." Revered South Korean director Hong Sangsoo shot a part of his black-and-white 66 minute film in Berlin.
