Jan 23, 2023
Berlinale 2023: Solidarity with Ukraine and Iran

Film festivals are places that strengthen freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and peaceful dialogue. With the ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, and the courageous protests in Iran, as well as in many other regions of the world, the Berlinale stands in 2023 even more firmly for these democratic values, and remembers victims of war, destruction and oppression all over the world.

Like numerous cultural institutions worldwide, the Berlinale has expressed its solidarity with Ukraine and Iran. Solidarity is expressed within the 2023 Berlinale in the film selection and with various events - in part with cooperation partners.

Detailed information on individual formats and further events will be available when the full programme is revealed on February 7, 2023. Below, you will find an initial overview of related material within the programme.

Ukraine

A pin-on badge and magnet

A pin-on badge, in the form of the beloved Berlinale bear, featuring the Ukrainian national colours, is intended to provide widespread visibility for the cause among Berlinale attendees, accredited industry guests and Berlinale film guests. Berlinale merchandising offers will also include a magnetic Berlinale bear designed by Ukrainian artists in the country's typical Petrykivka painting style.

Films and activities regarding Ukraine in the programme (as of Jan 20, 2023)

Encounters

Eastern Front
by Vitaly Mansky & Yevhen Titarenko
Latvia / Czech Republic / Ukraine / USA

Berlinale Special

Superpower
by Sean Penn & Aaron Kaufmann
USA

Berlinale Shorts

It's a Date
by Nadia Parfan
Ukraine

Panorama

Iron Butterflies
by Roman Liubyi
Ukraine / Germany

Ty mene lubysh? (Do You Love Me?)
by Tonia Noyabrova
Ukraine / Sweden

Forum

W Ukrainie (In Ukraine)
by Piotr Pawlus &Tomasz Wolski
Poland

Generation

We Will Not Fade Away
by Alisa Kovalenko
Ukraine / France / Poland

Waking Up in Silence
by Mila Zhluktenko
Germany / Ukraine

In the Kplus programme at Generation, where films are traditionally presented with live voice-overs in German for a younger audience, there will also be voice-overs in Ukrainian and Arabic for selected films.

Retrospective - Coming of Age

The line-up encompasses the personal favourites dealing with being young and growing up of the artists invited, to shape this year’s Retrospective.

Chosen by Sergei Loznitsa:
Gražuolė
by Arūnas Žebriūnas
USSR / Lithuania

Berlinale Talents

Six participants hail from Ukraine, including Alina Gorlova in the Doc Station and Anna Melikova in the Script Station. In the public programme, there will be a talk with Ukrainian documentary filmmakers from various sections. In addition, Berlinale Talents is in contact with and supports its Ukrainian alumni across the entire festival.

EFM

The EFM is supporting the industry with a package of special measures.

• Ukrainian stand: The Ukraine has been represented for many years with its own stand at the EFM. The Ukrainian Film State Agency (UFSA) has the official mandate to organise the country's representation. The EFM is providing the exhibition space and stand production assistance free of charge.
• Financing panel: an associated panel will shed light on the status quo regarding financing options for Ukrainian audio-visual content, highlight co-production and co-financing possibilities and present funding opportunities.
• Producers Presentations: so-called "Producers Presentations" are introducing Ukrainian producers and their projects and thus support them with their search for international partners.
• Odesa International Film Festival (OIFF) presents: Project Pitches: Due to the war, the OIFF will not be able to take place in the city of Odesa for the foreseeable future. Following programmes that took place at other festivals, industry events and markets, the Project Pitches of the OIFF will take place at the EFM as an associated guest programme.
• The EFM is granting free market and festival accreditations to Ukrainian filmmakers (for approx. 50 individuals).

Berlinale Co-Production Market

The Blindsight
by Ruslan Batytskyi

Fore Films has been selected as one of five companies world-wide to participate in the renowned Company Matching programme.

In the past years, Ukrainian projects and producers have already taken part in the Berlinale Co-Production Market with great success (for instance, among others, the earlier project Reflection by Valentyn Vasyanovich, which screened in the competition section at the 2021 Venice International Film Festival).

Iran

Films and activities regarding Iran in the programme (as of 20.01.2023)

Encounters

Mon pire ennemi
by Mehran Tamadon
France / Switzerland

Panorama

La Sirène (The Siren)
by Sepideh Farsi
France / Germany / Luxembourg / Belgium

Be Kucheye Khoshbakht (And, Towards Happy Alleys)
by Dr Sreemoyee Singh
India

Motståndaren
by Milad Alami
Sweden

Forum

Jaii keh khoda nist (Where God Is Not)
by Mehran Tamadon
France / Switzerland

Forum Expanded

Sahnehaye Estekhraj (Scenes of Extraction)
by Sanaz Sohrabi
Canada

Generation

Darvazeye royaha (Dreams’ Gate)
by Negin Ahmadi
Iran / Norway / France

Man ham Miraghsam (And Me, I'm Dancing Too)
by Mohammad Valizadegan
Germany / Czech Republic / Iran

Perspektive Deutsches Kino

Sieben Winter in Teheran (Seven Winters in Tehran)
by Steffi Niederzoll
Germany / France

Event accompanying the opening film of Perspektive Deutsches Kino Seven Winters in Tehran:

January 26 marks Berlin Verlag's official publication date for the book "Wie man ein Schmetterling wird. Das kurze, mutige Leben meiner Tochter Reyhaneh Jabbari", which Shole Pakravan, the mother of the deceased student, authored together with director Steffi Niederzoll.

In cooperation with Amnesty International, a reading of the book will take place at Bundesplatz Kino before the re-screening of the film as part of Berlinale Goes Kiez.

Perspektive Match

Teheran Tabu
by Ali Soozandeh
Germany / Austria

In the supplementary film series Perspektive Match, some Perspektive films will also be honoured for the special talent exhibited by the technical crew. The selected talents will be matched with established craft colleagues from the German Film Academy through a mentorship programme. In co-operation with Berlinale Talents, over the course of four afternoons, one film a day which was made with the participation of a mentor will be screened publicly at HAU Hebbel am Ufer Theater (HAU1). Following the screenings, a panel discussion will take place between the mentor and Perspektive talent.

In the scope of the Film Music Match, film composer Ali N. Askin (Teheran Tabu) will meet Perspektive talent Ole Wiedekamm (film music for Ash Wednesday).

Retrospective – Coming of Age

The line-up encompasses the personal favourites dealing with being young and growing up of the artists invited, to shape this year’s Retrospective.

Chosen by Mohammad Rasoulof:
Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle (The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser)
by Werner Herzog
FRG 1974

Chosen by Tilda Swinton:
Kiseye Berendj (Bag of Rice)
by Mohammad-Ali Talebi
Iran/Japan 1996

Chosen by Niki Karimi:
Khane-ye dust kojast? (Wo ist das Haus meines Freundes?)
by Abbas Kiarostami
Iran 1987

Berlinale Talents

Three Iranian talents residing in Teheran, including one with a project in the Short Form Station, and an Iranian talent residing in Berlin have been invited to Doc Station 2023.
Further Iranian Talents are Dornaz Hajiha, Sahand Sarhaddi und Mohsen Najafi Mehri.
An EFM Industry Insights Podcast episode will be realised in co-operation with Berlinale Talents, featuring, among others, Iranian alumna Sadaf Faroughi (tbc), in partnership with Goethe Institut.

WCF

This year, World Cinema Fund Day will also focus on the realities of making films in Iran today, and the struggles that Iranian filmmakers face inside and out of the country. The WCF Day will also deal with a crucial and essential question, involving representatives from international funding institutions, discussing funding cinema and culture during increasing crisis and war times.

WCF Day: Funding Cinema Cultures During Crises And War Times (in English)

Introduction / Focus on Iran / The State of Things
A cultural political introduction - Institutions and Iranian filmmakers.

Talk 1 / Focus on Iran / The Spirit of Time
The Spirit Of Time - Shooting in Iran, telling Iranian stories.
A conversation with directors of Iranian film projects recently (not only) supported by the WCF.

EFM

Iran Umbrella will feature a concentration on the ‘new young generation’ in cooperation with Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association.
An EFM Industry Insights Podcast episode will be realised in co-operation with Berlinale Talents, featuring, among others, Iranian alumna Sadaf Faroughi (tbc), in partnership with Goethe Institut.
EFM’s Producers & Project Hub: The perspective of Iranian independent filmmakers / filmmaking - with Goethe Institut

Berlinale Co-Production Market

Buran, a new project from Iranian filmmakers Maryam Moghadam and Behtash Sanaeeha (known for Ballad of a White Cow, Berlinale Competition 2021), has been selected for the Berlinale Co-Production Market 2023. The project is presented by the Swedish company Hobab and will be in Berlin to meet with potential co-production and financing partners.

Press Office
January 23, 2023