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Retrospective, Berlinale Classics & Homage

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Profile Retrospective, Berlinale Classics & Homage

The Retrospective is the Berlinale’s film history programme. In Berlinale Classics, digitally restored film classics and rediscoveries celebrate their premieres.

Curated by the Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen (German Cinematheque – Museum for Film and Television), the Retrospective brings works from international film history back to the big screen. Selected on the basis of thorough research, the film programme captivates with cinematographic rediscoveries, high-quality film prints and digital screening formats. The Retrospective topics are devoted to central periods of film history, aspects of film aesthetics and film technology as well as individual genres.

© Wim Wenders Stiftung 2017

Bruno Ganz in Der Himmel über Berlin (Wings of Desire) by Wim Wenders

By encountering works from film history, audiences experience the ongoing transformation of cinematic storytelling and aesthetics. Prominent representatives of today’s filmmaking community, restorers and curators present the films and give information on their film-historical backgrounds. Each annual programme is accompanied by a comprehensive publication which explores the subject in more depth, illuminates it from different angles and places it in a film-historical context.
The Retrospective has been complemented since 2013 by the Berlinale Classics presentations. In view of the increasing number of high-quality restorations and reconstructions offered by the new possibilities of digital processing, Berlinale Classics provides a forum for premieres in this area. New restorations of film classics and rediscoveries are screened in brilliant picture and sound quality. The films are usually introduced by a high-profile festival guest or the restorers.

Rainer Rother is head of Retrospective and Berlinale Classics.

Homage

Since 1977, the Homage has honoured outstanding figures in international film for their lifetime achievement. The gala event featuring the presentation of the Honorary Golden Bear to the guest of honour is one of the highlights of the Berlinale. The ceremony is followed by the screening of a selected film by the award winner.

Festival impressions

Since its foundation in 1951, the Berlinale has been the only A-festival in the world to screen a comprehensive filmhistorical retrospective. In 1977, this special commitment to the heritage of international film led to a partnership with the Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen which, since then, has been responsible for shaping the content and has curated and organised the Retrospective in close cooperation with the festival. Directors previously honoured in the Retrospective include Fritz Lang, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, Luis Buñuel, Ernst Lubitsch and Ingmar Bergman. Other topics have been periods significant to film history such as Weimar Cinema and New Hollywood, as well as innovations which played a decisive role in the aesthetic and technical development of cinema (Aesthetics of Shadow, Glorious Technicolor).

Since 2013, the Retrospective has been expanded by Berlinale Classics. In view of the increasing number of high-quality restorations and reconstructions offered by the new possibilities of digital processing, this section provides a forum for premieres of restored film classics and rediscoveries screened in brilliant picture and sound quality.

Until 2023, the awarding of the Honorary Golden Bear for a filmmaker’s lifetime achievement was accompanied by a film series of the award winner’s most important works as part of the Homage, also under the auspices of the Deutsche Kinemathek. Between 1977 and 2008, the Honorary Bear went to directing greats such as Hal Roach, Fred Zinneman, Arthur Penn and Francesco Rosi and to acting stars like James Stewart, Gregory Peck, Sophia Loren, Catherine Deneuve and Jeanne Moreau. Since 2009, other film disciplines have also come into the spotlight with presentations to the French film composer Maurice Jarre (2009), cinematographer Michael Ballhaus (2016) and costume designer Milena Canonero (2017).

The Retrospective has been managed by the Deutsche Kinemathek since 1977 that has organised the following Retrospectives:

  • An Alternate Cinema – From the Deutsche Kinemathek Archives (2024)
  • Young at Heart – Coming of Age at the Movies (2023)
  • No Angels – Mae West, Rosalind Russell & Carole Lombard (2022)
  • King Vidor (2020)
  • Self-determined. Perspectives of women filmmakers (2019)
  • Weimar Cinema Revisited (2018)
  • Future Imperfect. Science · Fiction · Film (2017)
  • Germany 1966 – Redefining Cinema (2016)
  • Glorious Technicolor. From George Eastman House and Beyond (2015)
  • Aesthetics of Shadow. Lighting Styles 1915–1950 (2014)
  • The Weimar Touch. The International Influence of Weimar Cinema after 1933 (2013)
  • The Red Dream Factory. Mezhrabpom-Film and Prometheus 1921–1936 (2012)
  • Ingmar Bergman. Film as life and life as film (2011)
  • PLAY IT AGAIN…! 60 Years Berlinale (2010)
  • 70 mm - Bigger than Life (2009)
  • Luis Buñuel (2008)
  • City Girls. Images of Women in Silent Film (2007)
  • Dream Girls. Film Stars in the 1950s (2006)
  • Production Design + Film. Locations, Settings, Spaces (2005)
  • New Hollywood 1967-1976. Trouble in Wonderland (2004)
  • F. W. Murnau (2003)
  • European 60’s (2002)
  • Fritz Lang (2001)
  • Artificial People (2000)
  • Otto Preminger (1999)
  • Siodmak Bros. Berlin – London – Paris – Hollywood (1998)
  • G. W. Pabst (1997)
  • William Wyler (1996)
  • Happy Birthday, Cinema! (1995)
  • Buster Keaton 100
  • Slapstick & Co.
  • Erich von Stroheim (1994)
  • CinemaScope (1993)
  • Babelsberg. A film studio (1992)
  • Cold War (1991)
  • The Year 1945 (1990)
  • 40 Years Berlinale
  • Europe 1939 (1989)
  • Erich Pommer
  • Colour. The History of Colour Film (1988)
  • Rouben Mamoulian (1987)
  • Henny Porten (1986)
  • Special Effects (1985)
  • Ernst Lubitsch 1914-1933 (1984)
  • Exile. Six Actors from Germany (1983)
  • Insurrection of Emotions: Curtis Bernhardt (1982)
  • East German Children’s Films
  • The Producer: The Films of Michael Balcon (1981)
  • Billy Wilder (1980)
  • 3D Films
  • Rudolph Valentino (1979)
  • We Danced Around the World. Revue Films
  • Marlene Dietrich, Part 2 (1978)
  • Censorship – Banned German Films 1933-1945
  • Marlene Dietrich, Part 1 (1977)
  • Love, Death and Technology. Cinema of the Fantastical 1933-1945
  • Eleanor Powell (1976)
    Conrad Veidt, Part 2
    Great German Films 1929-1932
    German Short Films of the 1930s, Part 2
  • Greta Garbo (1975)
    Conrad Veidt, Part 1
    German Short Films of the 1930s, Part 1
  • Lilian Harvey (1974)
    Jacques Feyder
    Norman McLaren
  • Wilhelm / William Dieterle (1973)
    American Musicals
    Animations by Dave Fleischer
  • Douglas Fairbanks (1972)
    Ludwig Berger
    American Animations 1940-1955
  • Busby Berkeley (1971)
    Eddie Cantor
  • Winners of the “Golden Bears” and other Berlinale films (1970)
    Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire
  • Abel Gance (1969)
    Musicals 1929-1950
    Oskar Fischinger
  • Ernst Lubitsch, Part 2 (1968)
    W. C. Fields
  • Ernst Lubitsch, Part 1 (1967)
    Harry Langdon
  • Cinema Novo (1966)
    Max Ophüls
    Mack Sennett
  • Masterpieces of German Film 1895-1932 (1965)
  • Louis Lumière (1964)
    Pola Negri
    Paul Leni
  • Elisabeth Bergner (1963)
    E. A. Dupont
    Karl Grune
    Yasujiro Ozu
  • Asta Nielsen (1962)
    G. W. Pabst
    Ingmar Bergman
  • Richard Oswald (1961)
    Billy Wilder
    Akira Kurosawa
  • 10 Years Golden Berlin Bear (1960)
    Musicals from 1930-1945
    Musicals from 1930-1945 (Experimental film special programme)
  • International Masterpieces from the Early Years of Talkies (1959)
  • Masterpieces of International Film from 1915 to 1945 (1958)
  • German Artists in Foreign Film (1957)
  • The Humour of Nations (1956)
  • 60 Years Film (1955)
  • Showcase of Famous Films (1954)
  • Silent Movies (1951-1953)
  • Martin Scorsese (2024)
  • Steven Spielberg (2023)
  • Isabelle Huppert (2022)
  • Dame Helen Mirren (2020)
  • Charlotte Rampling (2019)
  • Willem Dafoe (2018)
  • Milena Canonero (2017)
  • Michael Ballhaus (2016)
  • Wim Wenders (2015)
  • Ken Loach (2014)
  • Claude Lanzmann (2013)
  • Meryl Streep (2012)
  • Armin Mueller-Stahl (2011)
  • Hanna Schygulla / Wolfgang Kohlhaase (2010)
  • Maurice Jarre (2009)
  • Francesco Rosi (2008)
  • Arthur Penn (2007)
  • Anouk Aimée (2003)
  • Claudia Cardinale (2002)
  • Kirk Douglas (2001)
  • Jeanne Moreau / Robert De Niro (2000)
  • Shirley MacLaine (1999)
  • Catherine Deneuve (1998)
  • Kim Novak (1997)
  • Jack Lemmon / Elia Kazan (1996)
  • Alain Delon (1995)
  • Sophia Loren (1994)
  • Gregory Peck (1993)
  • Hal Roach (1992)
  • Jane Russell / Robert Mitchum (1991)
  • Renaud-Barrault au cinéma (1987)
  • Fred Zinnemann (1986)
  • Melina Mercouri / Jules Dassin (1984)
  • James Stewart (1982)
  • Peter Pewas (1981)
  • Wilfried Basse (1977)

Contact Retrospective & Berlinale Classics

Head of Retrospective & Berlinale Classics
Rainer Rother
Programme Coordination
Annika Haupts

Potsdamer Straße 2
10785 Berlin
phone +49 30 300 903-25

deutsche-kinemathek.de

Contact Homage

Programme Organisation