Oct 27, 2022
Retrospective 2023 “Young at Heart – Coming of Age at the Movies”

Noted Filmmakers From Around the World Share Their Favourites in the Genre

The Retrospective takes a look back at being young and growing up under the title “Young at Heart – Coming of Age at the Movies”.

In Rebel Without a Cause, James Dean as Jim Stark said: “If I had one day, when I didn’t have to be all confused, and didn’t have to feel that I was ashamed of everything. If I felt that I belonged someplace, you know? Then …” Those words are as true today as they were in 1955, when Nicholas Ray’s film came out. His movie laid the foundation for the coming-of-age genre. Since then, filmmakers have time and again given the world of young people a cinematic outlet. The films run the gamut of genres, from drama to comedy to horror. But the core questions remain: Who am I? Who do I want to be? Who could I be?

Curated by Dr Rainer Rother, head of the Retrospective and artistic director of the Deutsche Kinemathek, and his team, the section breaks new ground by inviting noted film directors, actors, and screenwriters to shape the programme line-up.

Dr Rainer Rother says: “In this day and age, what with climate change, the pandemic, and war, the young generation is facing fear, doubt, and an uncertain future. Cinema – as a cultural institution also in flux – provides a place to meet and to illustrate ideas for shaping the future. Because films, and experiencing them on the big screen, can give us a foothold and a sense of orientation. They can imagine freedom and convey ideals, evoke deep feelings, create communities, and leave life-long impressions. Coming-of-age films, in particular, are a dialogue of possibilities, from which audiences can draw perspective and inspiration about how to shape the future. All in all, good reasons to honour coming of age with the Berlinale Retrospective.”

Some 30 filmmakers will choose their personal favourite “coming of age” film for the Retrospective programme. The following directors, screenwriters, and actors have thus far accepted the festival’s invitation to help configure this unusual film series:

Maren Ade, Pedro Almodóvar, Wes Anderson, Juliette Binoche, Lav Diaz, Alice Diop, Ava DuVernay, Nora Fingscheidt, Luca Guadagnino, Ryūsuke Hamaguchi, Ethan Hawke, Karoline Herfurth, Nadine Labaki, Nadav Lapid, Sergei Loznitsa, Mohammad Rasoulof, Céline Sciamma, Martin Scorsese, Aparna Sen, M. Night Shyamalan, Carla Simón, Abderrahmane Sissako, Tilda Swinton, Wim Wenders, Jasmila Žbanić.

“After two years of the pandemic, we all feel like a character in a coming-of-age film. We aren’t what we used to be any more, and we don’t know yet what we will be. The good thing that these movies do is to turn uncertainty into a sense of excitement for what might come. That is the feeling we want to evoke with this project. The chosen films provide depictions of youth from various eras and countries. These films may come from the past, but their energy, power, and freedom resonate very well with the present time. We are grateful to the artists whose selections will shape this unique project,” comments Berlinale Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian.

The complete line-up and the list of artists who are participating in choosing the films will be published in January 2023. The Retrospective will once again be rounded out with a series of side-bar events.

Press Office,
October 27, 2022