26th Berlin & Beyond Film Festival: March 11-16, 2022; San Francisco, Palo Alto, and Berkeley2/17/2022
Berlin & Beyond Returns to the Castro, San Francisco A momentous occasion for this 26th edition is Berlin & Beyond's return to San Francisco's iconic movie palace, the Castro Theatre, for a 3-day weekend with special premieres and film guests from March 11th-13th. Followed by evenings at the Aquarius Theatre in Palo Alto on March 14th, Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley on March 15th, and the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (a first-time collaboration) on March 16th.  SHOWCASE Opening Night Film Next Door (Nebenan) Dir. Daniel Brühl –– Germany | 2021 | 93 min. West Coast Premiere Berlin, the Prenzlauer Berg district. Daniel is a movie star accustomed to success. His loft apartment is stylish and so is his wife, and the nanny has the children under control. Everything is tip-top, bilingual and ready for him to jet off to an audition in London where a role in an American superhero film awaits the celebrated German-Spanish actor. Popping into the local bar on the corner, he finds Bruno sitting there. As transpires by the minute, Bruno has been waiting for this moment for a long time, with Daniel as his target. Official Selection: Berlinale 2021 (Competition) In German and some Spanish and English, with English subtitles Starring: Daniel Brühl and Peter Kurth View Clip Centerpiece Film Dear Thomas (Lieber Thomas) Dir. Andreas Kleinert –– Germany | 2021 | 150 min. North American Premiere The GDR is still young, but Thomas Brasch (Albrecht Schuch) doesn’t fit in already. His father Horst (Jörg Schüttauf) wants to help build the new German state above all, but Thomas, his eldest son, would rather become a writer. Thomas is a dreamer, obsessive and a rebel. When the Soviet tanks roll through Prague in 1968, Brasch protests with his girlfriend Sanda (Ioana Jacob) and other students in the streets of Berlin. His own father betrays him to the Stasi, sending him to prison. Released on parole, Brasch works hard, and writes about love, revolt, and death. With no prospect of being heard in the GDR, Thomas and the woman he loves (Jella Haase) leave the homeland that never was his. In the West he is acclaimed and his books become bestsellers. But Brasch does not allow himself to be taken in. He is far from being at peace. Official Selection: Munich 2021 and Winner of Best Film at Tallinn Black Nights 2021 In German and English with English subtitles Starring: Albrecht Schuch and Jella Haase View Trailer Castro Closing Night Film Precious Ivie (Ivie wie Ivie) Dir. Sarah Blaßkiewitz –– Germany | 2021 | 117 min. US Premiere Two Afro-German half-sisters who never met before, get closer through their father’s death, search their roots and find themselves. Official Selection: Munich 2021 and Winner of Best Supporting Actress at German Film Awards 2021 for Lorna Ishema In German and English with English subtitles Starring: Haley Louise Jones and Lorna Ishema View Trailer Celebrating 150 years of Irish Dance in the SF Bay Area! |
 Aulcie, October 28, 5:10 pm, Stanford University  A Fistful Of Rubbish, October 31, 6:30 pm Palo Alto |  The Brothers (Los Hermanos) October 27, 7;00 pm, East Palo Alto  UNAFF 2021, October 21-October 31, 2021 |
- The Brothers (Los Hermanos) Two Afro-Cuban musician brothers living on opposite sides of a half-century political divide live parallel musical lives in New York and Havana. Through music and family memories the story unfolds, the brothers reunite, and have their first performances together. This film, with its terrific, electrifying musical score, will lift up your spirits! October 27, 7:00 pm
- Aulcie is the incredible story of an unlikely Harlem basketball player that almost no one ever heard of in the US. When life looked pretty bleak for him at home, American basketball player Aulcie Perry said yes to an offer to play the game for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel, and from there his life was on a remarkable course. Aulcie did it all, from converting to Judaism, embracing a fiery romantic love, taking Israeli sports by storm and living the highest lifestyle, to descending into drugs and jail time. But from the start all Aulcie dreamed of was finding his biological daughter that he regretted losing contact with. Aulcie fell in love with Israel, his new country and home that showered him with fame, money, admiration, and ultimate forgiveness. This amazing story and beautiful documentary is highly recommended! October 28, 5:10 pm
- A Fistful Of Rubbish is a quirky, somewhat whacky people-do-good story set in the Tabernas Desert of Spain, Europe's only desert and famous for being the movie set backdrop of many famous Western films. But over time this dusty, scenic setting, much loved by its locals, had become a trash magnet. An English ex-pat living locally is disgusted with the ongoing trash, and along with other locals also sick of it all take things into their own hands when government departments that should clean it up, just won't do their jobs. Power to the people! October 31, 6:30 pm
Closing Night, 9:00 PM, Palo Alto
Awards Ceremony and Closing Night Reception
-- sponsored by Coupa Café and Hobee’s
-- music by the Potential Jazz Ensemble
Awards Ceremony and Closing Night Reception
-- sponsored by Coupa Café and Hobee’s
-- music by the Potential Jazz Ensemble
Seventh Annual DOC STORIES FILM SERIES,
in-person and streaming online, November 4 - 7
Four-Day Documentary Series opens with Stanley Nelson’s ATTICA, and features a Castro screening of SUMMER OF SOUL with Director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson in attendance, plus several West Coast Premieres Including THE FIRST WAVE, BURNING, and DIONNE WARWICK: DON’T MAKE ME OVER
- In-person film programs are ticketed and all patrons will be required to show proof of vaccination before entering any in-person venues or events. Masks are required to be worn at all times.
- Most films will be available to stream online after their in-person screening. Films will have a limited streaming window—generally 24 hours.
- Tickets for online screenings are the same price as in-person screenings.
- Access to all films is restricted geographically, with streaming only available within the state of California.
- All live talks will take place on sffilm.org, and are available free of charge, worldwide.
- Tickets for all film programs in-person and streaming are $13 for SFFILM members, $16 for general public.
- Tickets for live online talks and the community screening of Julia are free.
- Ticket 6-Packs for all regularly priced programs at 2021 Doc Stories only are $65 for SFFILM members, $80 for general public.
- An all-program Cinevisa is $250. Box office now open online at sffilm.org.
FILM PROGRAMS
Attica (Opening Night)
Stanley Nelson, USA 2021, 116 min
From acclaimed director Stanley Nelson comes a suspenseful and meticulous reconstruction of the titular prison uprising using unearthed archival images. Cataloging the five-day Attica prison takeover of 1971 narrated primarily by inmates, reporters, and even National Guard officials who were there, this film is a dramatic retelling of the bloodiest prison rebellion in US history. Through the lens of an event five decades old, Nelson flexes his fine-honed skill as a master chronicler of events, institutions, and people central to Black history and life and offers an unequivocal reminder of the incremental nature of progress and offers hope that our better natures will prevail.
Director Stanley Nelson is expected to attend.
Thu ∙ Nov 4 ∙ 7:30 pm ∙ Castro
Attica (Opening Night)
Stanley Nelson, USA 2021, 116 min
From acclaimed director Stanley Nelson comes a suspenseful and meticulous reconstruction of the titular prison uprising using unearthed archival images. Cataloging the five-day Attica prison takeover of 1971 narrated primarily by inmates, reporters, and even National Guard officials who were there, this film is a dramatic retelling of the bloodiest prison rebellion in US history. Through the lens of an event five decades old, Nelson flexes his fine-honed skill as a master chronicler of events, institutions, and people central to Black history and life and offers an unequivocal reminder of the incremental nature of progress and offers hope that our better natures will prevail.
Director Stanley Nelson is expected to attend.
Thu ∙ Nov 4 ∙ 7:30 pm ∙ Castro
Lead Me Home
Pedro Kos, Jon Shenk, USA 2020, 39 min
Filmed over three years in three cities that face seemingly intractable circumstances involving large populations of unhoused people, this mid-length film uses evocative visuals and powerful individual stories to show that a problem with manifold causes needs manifold solutions. Focusing on the west coast–San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle–filmmakers Kos and Shenk weave an unforgettable tapestry that challenges common stereotypes and paints an honest portrait of people trying to obtain and hold on to a solid footing in their lives.
Fri ∙ Nov 5 ∙ 5:30 pm ∙ Castro
Directors Pedro Kos and John Shenk are expected to attend.
Lead Me Home is available to stream Sat, Nov 6 at 12:00 am – Sat, Nov 6 at 11:59 pm PT
Ascension
Jessica Kingdon, USA/China 2021, 98 min
Wielding an inquisitive camera and crafting a kaleidoscope of vignettes, Jessica Kingdon’s debut feature film is a visceral exploration of contemporary China’s identity and the paradoxes of economic progress. Deftly observing factory workers create everything from binoculars to sex dolls, the film tracks the collective pursuit of professional success in a communist society. With pathos and humor, Kingdon captures the intense physical demands, aggressive corporate policies, and creative collaboration that fuel the ever-expanding labor force of the People’s Republic of China. The filmmaker leaves you to ponder the costs of commodification while also shining a light on the resiliency of the human spirit.
Fri ∙ Nov 5 ∙ 8:00 pm ∙ Castro
Director Jessica Kingdon is expected to attend.
Ascension is available to stream Sat, Nov 6 at 12:00 am – Sat, Nov 6 at 11:59 pm PT
New York Times Op-Docs
86 min
Op-Docs is the New York Times’ award-winning series of short-form documentaries by independent filmmakers. Always a Doc Stories highlight, this year’s selection includes work that showcases art from an inmate of Guantánamo Bay, profiles an unforgettable Black female basketball player, and animates a series of phone calls a young Asian American man makes to friends who signed his high school yearbook. The program features the following 2021 Op-Docs: 57 Days (Mario Lumbreras, Laura Brasero), H.A.G.S. (Sean Wang), JOBS FOR ALL! (Maximilien Van Aertryck, Axel Danielson), Mission: Hebron (Rona Segal), The Queen of Basketball (Ben Proudfoot), and A Ship from Guantánamo (Dara Kell, Veena Rao).
Sat ∙ Nov 6 ∙ 11:30 am ∙ Castro
Director Sean Wang is expected to attend.
New York Times Op-Docs is available to stream Sun, Nov 7 at 12:00 am – Sun, Nov 7 at 11:59 pm PT
Simple as Water
Megan Mylan, USA/Syria/Greece/Turkey/Germany, 98 min
The modern world has become all too familiar with images of refugees fleeing their homes, desensitized to the onslaught of harrowing images and heartbreaking stories. But what happens after these displaced individuals find sanctuary and slip from the headlines? Academy Award-winner Megan Mylan trains her lens on the everyday acts of courage and determination that drive her protagonists, featuring families in Turkey, Greece, the US, and Syria. From a soft-spoken Uber driver who sacrifices everything for his teenage brother to far-flung parents urged on by parental love, this timeless film explores ties that bind and the dreams that empower humans to overcome the unthinkable.
Sat ∙ Nov 6 ∙ 12:30 pm ∙ Vogue
Director Megan Mylan is expected to attend.
Simple as Water is available to stream Sun, Nov 7 at 12:00 am – Sun, Nov 7 at 11:59 pm PT
Cusp
Parker Hill, Isabel Bethencourt, USA 2021, 83 min
Amid the breathtaking sunsets and wide-open spaces of a Texas summer, three bored teenage girls pass a summer of bonfire parties, booze and weed, and boys who don’t understand that no means no. Each of them shoulders traumas but reveals them in surprisingly blasé fashion to the camera. “There is no normal in teenage years,” as one of the girls comments, and the directors prove that point in poignant and disturbing fashion. These are kids—playing at being adults—in an environment bereft of adult guidance, and Bethencourt and Hill present them in all of their fraught and unforgettable distinctness.
Sat ∙ Nov 6 ∙ 3:00 pm ∙ Castro
Directors Isabel Bethencourt and Parker Hill are expected to attend.
Cusp is available to stream Sun, Nov 7 at 12:00 am – Sun, Nov 7 at 11:59 pm PT
The First Wave
Matthew Heineman, USA 2021, 93 min
From Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award-winning director Matthew Heineman comes a nuanced profile of humanity and inspiration. Profiling four frontline workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic during the first wave that ravaged NYC in the spring of 2020, this clear-eyed film documents the harrowing experience of health care workers, their remarkable dedication to those in need, and the journey of two patients who are taken to the brink by the novel coronavirus. The film draws its power from illuminating the raw emotions in those first few months and highlights stories of triumph and resiliency amidst a global crisis.
Sat ∙ Nov 6 ∙ 3:30 pm ∙ Vogue
Director Matthew Heineman is expected to attend.
The First Wave is available to stream Sun, Nov 7 at 12:00 am – Sun, Nov 7 at 11:59 pm PT
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, USA 2021, 117 min
Dust off your dancing shoes and join us for the most joyous documentary of 2021! It makes its Castro premiere with the film's magisterial director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson in attendance. With extraordinary footage that was shot at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival in Mount Morris Park placed alongside contemporary interviews of musicians and attendees, Summer of Soul offers a multitude of incandescent moments, including Mahalia Jackson sharing the stage with Mavis Staples, Stevie Wonder playing drums, Sly and the Family Stone bringing down the house, and emcee Tony Lawrence's vibrant outfits threatening to steal the show.
Sat ∙ Nov 6 ∙ 8:00 pm ∙ Castro
Director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and moderator Ben Fong Torres are expected to attend.
Burning
Eva Orner, Australia 2021, 94 min
From executive producer Cate Blanchett, this powerful documentary profiles the ‘Black Summer’ of 2019–2020 when 59 million acres burned in Australia. Featuring shocking footage of pyro-convective infernos, the gallant efforts of volunteer and professional firefighters, and the inertia of politicians, director Eva Orner meticulously deconstructs the natural and bureaucratic environments that allow these annual tragedies to proliferate. While California audiences are no strangers to the ravages of fire (four million in 2020 alone), Burning offers us a rare glimpse into another country grappling with fake news, muzzled scientists, and grassroots efforts to combat climate change against the angry backdrop of a fiery haze.
Sun ∙ Nov 7 ∙ 1:00 pm ∙ Castro
Burning is available to stream Mon, Nov 8 at 12:00 am – Mon, Nov 8 at 11:59 pm PT
Flee
Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Denmark/France/Sweden/Norway 2020, 90 min
Winner of the 2021 Grand Jury Prize for World Documentary at Sundance, this moving animated portrait tells the story of Amin (not his real name), a refugee from Afghanistan, currently residing in Denmark. Fleeing multiple crises in their homeland and across several continents, Amin relates not only his family’s harrowing escape, but also coming to terms with being gay in a society that has no word for homosexual. In an innovative and revelatory stylistic choice, Rasmussen tells the story predominantly with animation, changing the visual style to reflect different moods as Amin reflects on both his past and the present.
Sun ∙ Nov 7 ∙ 4:30 pm ∙ Castro
Director Jonas Poher Rasmussen is expected to attend.
Flee is available to stream Mon, Nov 8 at 12:01 am – Mon, Nov 8 at 11:59 pm PT
Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over
Dave Wooley, David Heilbroner, USA 2021, 95 min
An inspirational portrait of a living legend, this documentary begins with Warwick’s youth in New Jersey, recounts her first forays at the Apollo Theater, and details her tour in the south under Jim Crow laws, and depicts shopping for couture with Marlene Dietrich. This lovingly crafted film showcases Warwick’s refusal to conform, as it charts her efforts to support AIDS research, speak truth to power, and ascend the trends on Twitter. Featuring an all-star cast of commentators that includes: Gladys Knight, Elton John, Snoop Dogg, Quincy Jones, Alicia Keys, and Stevie Wonder, this delightful film is an ode to a music maven whose indelible mark on the world will affect generations to come.
Sun ∙ Nov 7 ∙ 8:00 pm ∙ Castro
Director Dave Wooley is expected to attend.
Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over is available to stream Mon, Nov 8 at 12:00 am – Mon, Nov 8 at 11:59 pm PT
Pedro Kos, Jon Shenk, USA 2020, 39 min
Filmed over three years in three cities that face seemingly intractable circumstances involving large populations of unhoused people, this mid-length film uses evocative visuals and powerful individual stories to show that a problem with manifold causes needs manifold solutions. Focusing on the west coast–San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle–filmmakers Kos and Shenk weave an unforgettable tapestry that challenges common stereotypes and paints an honest portrait of people trying to obtain and hold on to a solid footing in their lives.
Fri ∙ Nov 5 ∙ 5:30 pm ∙ Castro
Directors Pedro Kos and John Shenk are expected to attend.
Lead Me Home is available to stream Sat, Nov 6 at 12:00 am – Sat, Nov 6 at 11:59 pm PT
Ascension
Jessica Kingdon, USA/China 2021, 98 min
Wielding an inquisitive camera and crafting a kaleidoscope of vignettes, Jessica Kingdon’s debut feature film is a visceral exploration of contemporary China’s identity and the paradoxes of economic progress. Deftly observing factory workers create everything from binoculars to sex dolls, the film tracks the collective pursuit of professional success in a communist society. With pathos and humor, Kingdon captures the intense physical demands, aggressive corporate policies, and creative collaboration that fuel the ever-expanding labor force of the People’s Republic of China. The filmmaker leaves you to ponder the costs of commodification while also shining a light on the resiliency of the human spirit.
Fri ∙ Nov 5 ∙ 8:00 pm ∙ Castro
Director Jessica Kingdon is expected to attend.
Ascension is available to stream Sat, Nov 6 at 12:00 am – Sat, Nov 6 at 11:59 pm PT
New York Times Op-Docs
86 min
Op-Docs is the New York Times’ award-winning series of short-form documentaries by independent filmmakers. Always a Doc Stories highlight, this year’s selection includes work that showcases art from an inmate of Guantánamo Bay, profiles an unforgettable Black female basketball player, and animates a series of phone calls a young Asian American man makes to friends who signed his high school yearbook. The program features the following 2021 Op-Docs: 57 Days (Mario Lumbreras, Laura Brasero), H.A.G.S. (Sean Wang), JOBS FOR ALL! (Maximilien Van Aertryck, Axel Danielson), Mission: Hebron (Rona Segal), The Queen of Basketball (Ben Proudfoot), and A Ship from Guantánamo (Dara Kell, Veena Rao).
Sat ∙ Nov 6 ∙ 11:30 am ∙ Castro
Director Sean Wang is expected to attend.
New York Times Op-Docs is available to stream Sun, Nov 7 at 12:00 am – Sun, Nov 7 at 11:59 pm PT
Simple as Water
Megan Mylan, USA/Syria/Greece/Turkey/Germany, 98 min
The modern world has become all too familiar with images of refugees fleeing their homes, desensitized to the onslaught of harrowing images and heartbreaking stories. But what happens after these displaced individuals find sanctuary and slip from the headlines? Academy Award-winner Megan Mylan trains her lens on the everyday acts of courage and determination that drive her protagonists, featuring families in Turkey, Greece, the US, and Syria. From a soft-spoken Uber driver who sacrifices everything for his teenage brother to far-flung parents urged on by parental love, this timeless film explores ties that bind and the dreams that empower humans to overcome the unthinkable.
Sat ∙ Nov 6 ∙ 12:30 pm ∙ Vogue
Director Megan Mylan is expected to attend.
Simple as Water is available to stream Sun, Nov 7 at 12:00 am – Sun, Nov 7 at 11:59 pm PT
Cusp
Parker Hill, Isabel Bethencourt, USA 2021, 83 min
Amid the breathtaking sunsets and wide-open spaces of a Texas summer, three bored teenage girls pass a summer of bonfire parties, booze and weed, and boys who don’t understand that no means no. Each of them shoulders traumas but reveals them in surprisingly blasé fashion to the camera. “There is no normal in teenage years,” as one of the girls comments, and the directors prove that point in poignant and disturbing fashion. These are kids—playing at being adults—in an environment bereft of adult guidance, and Bethencourt and Hill present them in all of their fraught and unforgettable distinctness.
Sat ∙ Nov 6 ∙ 3:00 pm ∙ Castro
Directors Isabel Bethencourt and Parker Hill are expected to attend.
Cusp is available to stream Sun, Nov 7 at 12:00 am – Sun, Nov 7 at 11:59 pm PT
The First Wave
Matthew Heineman, USA 2021, 93 min
From Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award-winning director Matthew Heineman comes a nuanced profile of humanity and inspiration. Profiling four frontline workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic during the first wave that ravaged NYC in the spring of 2020, this clear-eyed film documents the harrowing experience of health care workers, their remarkable dedication to those in need, and the journey of two patients who are taken to the brink by the novel coronavirus. The film draws its power from illuminating the raw emotions in those first few months and highlights stories of triumph and resiliency amidst a global crisis.
Sat ∙ Nov 6 ∙ 3:30 pm ∙ Vogue
Director Matthew Heineman is expected to attend.
The First Wave is available to stream Sun, Nov 7 at 12:00 am – Sun, Nov 7 at 11:59 pm PT
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, USA 2021, 117 min
Dust off your dancing shoes and join us for the most joyous documentary of 2021! It makes its Castro premiere with the film's magisterial director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson in attendance. With extraordinary footage that was shot at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival in Mount Morris Park placed alongside contemporary interviews of musicians and attendees, Summer of Soul offers a multitude of incandescent moments, including Mahalia Jackson sharing the stage with Mavis Staples, Stevie Wonder playing drums, Sly and the Family Stone bringing down the house, and emcee Tony Lawrence's vibrant outfits threatening to steal the show.
Sat ∙ Nov 6 ∙ 8:00 pm ∙ Castro
Director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and moderator Ben Fong Torres are expected to attend.
Burning
Eva Orner, Australia 2021, 94 min
From executive producer Cate Blanchett, this powerful documentary profiles the ‘Black Summer’ of 2019–2020 when 59 million acres burned in Australia. Featuring shocking footage of pyro-convective infernos, the gallant efforts of volunteer and professional firefighters, and the inertia of politicians, director Eva Orner meticulously deconstructs the natural and bureaucratic environments that allow these annual tragedies to proliferate. While California audiences are no strangers to the ravages of fire (four million in 2020 alone), Burning offers us a rare glimpse into another country grappling with fake news, muzzled scientists, and grassroots efforts to combat climate change against the angry backdrop of a fiery haze.
Sun ∙ Nov 7 ∙ 1:00 pm ∙ Castro
Burning is available to stream Mon, Nov 8 at 12:00 am – Mon, Nov 8 at 11:59 pm PT
Flee
Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Denmark/France/Sweden/Norway 2020, 90 min
Winner of the 2021 Grand Jury Prize for World Documentary at Sundance, this moving animated portrait tells the story of Amin (not his real name), a refugee from Afghanistan, currently residing in Denmark. Fleeing multiple crises in their homeland and across several continents, Amin relates not only his family’s harrowing escape, but also coming to terms with being gay in a society that has no word for homosexual. In an innovative and revelatory stylistic choice, Rasmussen tells the story predominantly with animation, changing the visual style to reflect different moods as Amin reflects on both his past and the present.
Sun ∙ Nov 7 ∙ 4:30 pm ∙ Castro
Director Jonas Poher Rasmussen is expected to attend.
Flee is available to stream Mon, Nov 8 at 12:01 am – Mon, Nov 8 at 11:59 pm PT
Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over
Dave Wooley, David Heilbroner, USA 2021, 95 min
An inspirational portrait of a living legend, this documentary begins with Warwick’s youth in New Jersey, recounts her first forays at the Apollo Theater, and details her tour in the south under Jim Crow laws, and depicts shopping for couture with Marlene Dietrich. This lovingly crafted film showcases Warwick’s refusal to conform, as it charts her efforts to support AIDS research, speak truth to power, and ascend the trends on Twitter. Featuring an all-star cast of commentators that includes: Gladys Knight, Elton John, Snoop Dogg, Quincy Jones, Alicia Keys, and Stevie Wonder, this delightful film is an ode to a music maven whose indelible mark on the world will affect generations to come.
Sun ∙ Nov 7 ∙ 8:00 pm ∙ Castro
Director Dave Wooley is expected to attend.
Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over is available to stream Mon, Nov 8 at 12:00 am – Mon, Nov 8 at 11:59 pm PT
LIVE ONLINE TALKS
How Many Storytellers Does it Take?
Storytelling is not a singular artform when it comes to cinema. There are many people who shape a film, and their insight, approach, and skill set are as critical as those of a determined director. Their collaboration on the final product is key to a film’s success. Featuring documentary editors, cinematographers, and producers, this panel will explore the many different disciplines that shape stories and how these skills are often overlooked when considering the craft of documentary storytelling. Participants will also discuss collaboration techniques and strategies used when working on sensitive material.
Sat ∙ Nov 6 ∙ 12:00 pm ∙ Online
Storytelling in a Synthetic World
From A.I. and digitally altered subjects to restored archival footage and revelatory animation, documentary filmmakers now have a battery of creative tools at their disposal to augment stock footage, B-roll, and talking heads. These various approaches provide exciting pathways to storytelling as exemplified in Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s animated retelling of a refugee’s journey in Flee, or Stanley Nelson’s meticulous reconstruction of the titular prison uprising using unearthed archival images in Attica (2021), or the use of deepfake imagery to protect vulnerable subjects in David France’s Welcome to Chechnya (2020). While the use of altered content creates enormous opportunity, these methods also prompt questions around authenticity, power, and perception. As the lines between reality and fiction become increasingly blurred in our daily lives and in the media, this panel of award-winning filmmakers will discuss the opportunities and the ethics of working with synthetic content.
Sat ∙ Nov 6 ∙ 2:00 pm ∙ Online
Finding Home: Seeking Remedies for a National Crisis
Amid many national crises, the one of housing seems one of the most intractable–especially here in the Bay Area. However, there are ways forward for unhoused people seeking agency and a change of circumstances, and there are many local organizations doing revolutionary work in this regard. Joining us for this discussion about policy and practice around the topic will be representatives from Bay Area agencies working with the unhoused community, co-director of the mid-length documentary Lead Me Home Jon Shenk, and participants from the film and Bay Area Community programs.
Sun ∙ Nov 7 ∙ 1:30 pm ∙ Online
Searching for Truth: Authorship in Documentary Cinema
As the documentary film landscape strives to be more equitable and diverse, the question of authorship becomes increasingly relevant. Who is best suited to tell whose stories? Can an outsider adequately and accurately capture the truth of a community that is not their own? These are some of the questions that today’s emerging documentary filmmakers are grappling with in their own work. In Ascension, American filmmaker Jessica Kingdon explores the intricacies of consumerism in contemporary China, while veteran concert promoter/producer Dave Wooley chronicles the legendary career of Dionne Warwick and her dedication to activism in Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over, and Berkeley-based Maya Cueva brings us into the lives of three Latinx people in McAllen Texas, whose different beliefs come to a head at the last abortion clinic in the US/Mexico border in On the Divide (2021). These talented filmmakers will discuss their own approaches to authorship in pursuit of truthful and dynamic storytelling.
Sun ∙ Nov 7 ∙ 3:30 pm ∙ Online
COMMUNITY SCREENING
Julia
Betsy West, Julie Cohen, USA 2021, 95 min
Think you know all there is to know about Julia Child? Think again. This sumptuously shot biography from the Oscar-nominated directors of RBG (2018) not only fills in many overlooked details of Child’s life, but also tenderly exposes the motivations of an intensely complicated woman who dared to share her passion for cooking with the world. Infused with infectious joy, that voice, and drool-inducing footage of buttery French food, Julia is a treasure trove of personal anecdotes, witty correspondence, and the very personal ingredients of a life lived to the brim.
Sat ∙ Nov 6 ∙ 6:30 pm ∙ Vogue
This is a community screening, offered free of charge. RSVP for tickets is required. Directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen are expected to attend.
SCHEDULE — IN-PERSON + ONLINE LIVE TALKS
Thursday, November 4 – Castro
7:30 pm – Attica (Opening Night)
Friday, November 5 – Castro
5:30 pm – Lead Me Home
8:00 pm – Ascension
Saturday, November 6 – Castro
11:30 am – New York Times Op-Docs
3:00 pm – Cusp
8:00 pm – Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Centerpiece)
Saturday, November 6 – Vogue
12:30 pm – Simple as Water
3:30 pm – The First Wave
6:30 pm – Julia (Community Screening)
Saturday, November 6 – Online
12:00 pm – How Many Storytellers Does it Take?
2:00 pm – Storytelling in a Synthetic World
Sunday, November 7 – Castro
1:00 pm – Burning
4:30 pm – Flee
8:00 pm – Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over
Sunday, November 7 – Online
1:30 pm – Finding Home: Seeking Remedies for a National Crisis
3:30 pm – Searching for Truth: Authorship in Documentary Cinema
Most films will be available to stream online after their in-person screening. Films will have a limited streaming window—generally 24 hours. Tickets for online screenings are the same price as in-person screenings.
For general information visit sffilm.org
How Many Storytellers Does it Take?
Storytelling is not a singular artform when it comes to cinema. There are many people who shape a film, and their insight, approach, and skill set are as critical as those of a determined director. Their collaboration on the final product is key to a film’s success. Featuring documentary editors, cinematographers, and producers, this panel will explore the many different disciplines that shape stories and how these skills are often overlooked when considering the craft of documentary storytelling. Participants will also discuss collaboration techniques and strategies used when working on sensitive material.
Sat ∙ Nov 6 ∙ 12:00 pm ∙ Online
Storytelling in a Synthetic World
From A.I. and digitally altered subjects to restored archival footage and revelatory animation, documentary filmmakers now have a battery of creative tools at their disposal to augment stock footage, B-roll, and talking heads. These various approaches provide exciting pathways to storytelling as exemplified in Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s animated retelling of a refugee’s journey in Flee, or Stanley Nelson’s meticulous reconstruction of the titular prison uprising using unearthed archival images in Attica (2021), or the use of deepfake imagery to protect vulnerable subjects in David France’s Welcome to Chechnya (2020). While the use of altered content creates enormous opportunity, these methods also prompt questions around authenticity, power, and perception. As the lines between reality and fiction become increasingly blurred in our daily lives and in the media, this panel of award-winning filmmakers will discuss the opportunities and the ethics of working with synthetic content.
Sat ∙ Nov 6 ∙ 2:00 pm ∙ Online
Finding Home: Seeking Remedies for a National Crisis
Amid many national crises, the one of housing seems one of the most intractable–especially here in the Bay Area. However, there are ways forward for unhoused people seeking agency and a change of circumstances, and there are many local organizations doing revolutionary work in this regard. Joining us for this discussion about policy and practice around the topic will be representatives from Bay Area agencies working with the unhoused community, co-director of the mid-length documentary Lead Me Home Jon Shenk, and participants from the film and Bay Area Community programs.
Sun ∙ Nov 7 ∙ 1:30 pm ∙ Online
Searching for Truth: Authorship in Documentary Cinema
As the documentary film landscape strives to be more equitable and diverse, the question of authorship becomes increasingly relevant. Who is best suited to tell whose stories? Can an outsider adequately and accurately capture the truth of a community that is not their own? These are some of the questions that today’s emerging documentary filmmakers are grappling with in their own work. In Ascension, American filmmaker Jessica Kingdon explores the intricacies of consumerism in contemporary China, while veteran concert promoter/producer Dave Wooley chronicles the legendary career of Dionne Warwick and her dedication to activism in Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over, and Berkeley-based Maya Cueva brings us into the lives of three Latinx people in McAllen Texas, whose different beliefs come to a head at the last abortion clinic in the US/Mexico border in On the Divide (2021). These talented filmmakers will discuss their own approaches to authorship in pursuit of truthful and dynamic storytelling.
Sun ∙ Nov 7 ∙ 3:30 pm ∙ Online
COMMUNITY SCREENING
Julia
Betsy West, Julie Cohen, USA 2021, 95 min
Think you know all there is to know about Julia Child? Think again. This sumptuously shot biography from the Oscar-nominated directors of RBG (2018) not only fills in many overlooked details of Child’s life, but also tenderly exposes the motivations of an intensely complicated woman who dared to share her passion for cooking with the world. Infused with infectious joy, that voice, and drool-inducing footage of buttery French food, Julia is a treasure trove of personal anecdotes, witty correspondence, and the very personal ingredients of a life lived to the brim.
Sat ∙ Nov 6 ∙ 6:30 pm ∙ Vogue
This is a community screening, offered free of charge. RSVP for tickets is required. Directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen are expected to attend.
SCHEDULE — IN-PERSON + ONLINE LIVE TALKS
Thursday, November 4 – Castro
7:30 pm – Attica (Opening Night)
Friday, November 5 – Castro
5:30 pm – Lead Me Home
8:00 pm – Ascension
Saturday, November 6 – Castro
11:30 am – New York Times Op-Docs
3:00 pm – Cusp
8:00 pm – Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Centerpiece)
Saturday, November 6 – Vogue
12:30 pm – Simple as Water
3:30 pm – The First Wave
6:30 pm – Julia (Community Screening)
Saturday, November 6 – Online
12:00 pm – How Many Storytellers Does it Take?
2:00 pm – Storytelling in a Synthetic World
Sunday, November 7 – Castro
1:00 pm – Burning
4:30 pm – Flee
8:00 pm – Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over
Sunday, November 7 – Online
1:30 pm – Finding Home: Seeking Remedies for a National Crisis
3:30 pm – Searching for Truth: Authorship in Documentary Cinema
Most films will be available to stream online after their in-person screening. Films will have a limited streaming window—generally 24 hours. Tickets for online screenings are the same price as in-person screenings.
For general information visit sffilm.org
Doc Stories is presented by Showtime Documentary Films and patrons Katie Hall & Tom Knutsen. Major support is provided by National Geographic and HBO Documentary Films. Additional support is provided by Netflix, ESPN Films (30 for 30), Apple Original Films, New York Times, and Secret Sauce Media.
24th United Nations Association Film Festival
October 21-31, 2021 * Palo Alto * East Palo Alto
* San Francisco * Stanford University
- UNAFF is delighted to announce the 24th UNAFF (United Nations Association Film Festival), which was founded in 1998 by Stanford educator and film critic Jasmina Bojic in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- After moving online in 2020 because of Covid-19, the festival is excited to return to its regular in-person format this year. In order to provide a safe experience to the audience and community at large, UNAFF has devised Covid-19 protocols in accordance with the guidelines of the County and State; UNAFF asks the audience, staff, guests, panelists and volunteers to read them and help uphold them.
- The 24th UNAFF will be held from October 21-31, 2021. This year’s theme MOVING FORWARD continues the festival's more than two-decade-long celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, emphasizing its readiness to resume resolute strides towards lasting solutions.
LISTINGS SUMMARY
24th UNAFF (United Nations Association Film Festival)
October 21-31, 2021
Venues:
October 21-25 & 30-31: Palo Alto, Mitchell Park Community Center, 3700 Middlefield Road
October 26: Stanford University, Stanford Medical School LKC
October 27: San Francisco, Roxie Theater, 3117 16th Street
October 28-29: Stanford University, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies Encina Hall, 616 Serra Street
Ticket prices: $12 PER FILM SESSION (1.5 – 3 hours per session)
FESTIVAL PASS – $220 (all sessions, excludes Opening and Closing Night Receptions)/
free admission to discussion panels
Tickets available at STANFORD TICKET OFFICE: https://tickets.stanford.edu
Roxie program on 10/27 tickets available at: https://bit.ly/unaffroxie
Film programs are announced and listed at www.unaff.org
For more information: www.unaff.org
E-mail: info@unaff.org
Phone: (650) 724-5544
Check here for Festival Films
24th UNAFF (United Nations Association Film Festival)
October 21-31, 2021
Venues:
October 21-25 & 30-31: Palo Alto, Mitchell Park Community Center, 3700 Middlefield Road
October 26: Stanford University, Stanford Medical School LKC
October 27: San Francisco, Roxie Theater, 3117 16th Street
October 28-29: Stanford University, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies Encina Hall, 616 Serra Street
Ticket prices: $12 PER FILM SESSION (1.5 – 3 hours per session)
FESTIVAL PASS – $220 (all sessions, excludes Opening and Closing Night Receptions)/
free admission to discussion panels
Tickets available at STANFORD TICKET OFFICE: https://tickets.stanford.edu
Roxie program on 10/27 tickets available at: https://bit.ly/unaffroxie
Film programs are announced and listed at www.unaff.org
For more information: www.unaff.org
E-mail: info@unaff.org
Phone: (650) 724-5544
Check here for Festival Films
Opening night films: BARBARA LEE: SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER,
and GHOSTS OF AFGHANISTAN
and GHOSTS OF AFGHANISTAN
Windrider Bay Area Virtual Film Forum Presents inspiring films and Q&As through a “Lens of Hope”
July 8–10 & 15–16, 2021
Windrider Bay Area Virtual Film Forum
July 8–10 & 15–16, 2021 Taking place online
Cost: July 8-10 programs, each film $10 general / $5 student
July Events Pass: $20 general / $10 student
Cost: July 15-16 programs, FREE
View the films with Netflix membership, and register
for free access to live Q&As
July 8–10 & 15–16, 2021 Taking place online
Cost: July 8-10 programs, each film $10 general / $5 student
July Events Pass: $20 general / $10 student
Cost: July 15-16 programs, FREE
View the films with Netflix membership, and register
for free access to live Q&As
- Windrider Bay Area Film Forum announces its program of films and panels for its 2021 event, which will be presented in virtual platform, July 8 to 10, and July 15 to 16.
- Windrider continues its goal of presenting thoughtful, inspiring films that motivate viewers to respond actively and constructively. Windrider’s “Lens of Hope” filter invites its audience to engage and listen as filmmakers tell their stories, showing constructive responses to important issues.
- Through these films and the filmmaker conversations, it is possible to broaden understanding of ourselves and others, break down barriers of indifference, and encourage people to make a difference in our world.
- General admission and student tickets are available for the July 8–10 film screenings and filmmaker Q&A programs. All Access July Events Pass is available for purchase to watch all three programs. The July 15–16 filmmaker conversations will be available for free to anyone who registers for an account on the ticketing website.
- Viewers can see the films with a Netflix subscription, and then tune in to the free filmmaker conversations.
San Francisco to Fully Reopen Businesses and Activities Aligning With the State’s Reopening Plans
Beginning June 15
- Thanks to San Francisco’s successful COVID vaccine roll out and decreasing cases and community spread, the City intends to align with the State Beyond the Blueprint guidance that removes nearly all local COVID-19 related restrictions beginning June 15, with some narrow exceptions for mega events.
- Mayor London N. Breed and Health Officer Susan Philip today announced that starting Tuesday, June15, San Francisco will fully reopen and eliminate capacity limits and almost all local restrictions on business operations in alignment with the State’s Beyond the Blueprint for Industry and Business Sectors– effective June 15.
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The Basics:
This is an evolving news story and details may change.
- Will I have to wear a mask anymore? The updated San Francisco Health Order will allow fully vaccinated people to not wear a mask except where required by fed/state/local rules or if a local business requires it.
- Where does SF differ from California and the CDC? The mayor stated that there will still be some temporary restrictions for large-scale indoor events (5,000+) and large-scale outdoor events (10,000+) and in certain settings like healthcare facilities, shelters and skilled nursing facilities.
- What about Muni and BART? Masks will still be required on public transportation through September.
- What about masks indoors at work? This is unclear at the moment due to OSHA rules to protect the unvaccinated. As of 6/4/21 the latest rules were that if you work indoors with anyone who is unvaccinated, you’ll likely need to still wear a mask.
- Can businesses require masks? Yes. Any business can choose to require you to wear a mask.
- Can businesses require proof of vaccination? San Francisco says that that businesses may require proof of vaccination, but it is unclear whether this may violate any HIPAA protections.
This is an evolving news story and details may change.
San Francisco will fully reopen:
- With the exception of schools, childcare, and youth activities, San Francisco will lift much of its health order sector-specific restrictions and rescind all business sector directives. State and Federal entities are expected to continue to put forward public health guidance. Additionally, some regulatory agencies like the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) and industry specific regulatory agencies such as Alcohol Beverage Control, California’s Child Care Licensing Program, etc., will maintain requirements related to the prevention of COVID-19 in the workplace and other specific contexts.
- San Francisco’s reopening and recovery is, in large part, due to the availability and successful rollout of vaccines in San Francisco. The effectiveness and availability of COVID-19 vaccines has dramatically driven down case rates, hospitalizations and community spread. Currently, 79% of San Franciscans eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination have received at least one dose; and as of June 7, our case rate was 1.5 per 100,000, 25% lower than the state and representing a 96% decrease in San Francisco COVID-19 diagnoses since January. Likewise, hospitalizations are at their lowest point since the pandemic began.
- The Public Health Department encourages all those eligible to get vaccinated as soon as possible, so that San Francisco and the entire Bay Area can safely reopen. The public can make an appointment or find a drop-in site by calling (628) 652-2700 or by going to sf.gov/get-vaccinated.
- Because of San Francisco’s identity as a national and international destination, and because the pandemic is less controlled elsewhere, the San Francisco Department of Public Health will require proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test at indoor mega events of over 5,000 people; unvaccinated attendees must wear face coverings per state requirements. If only self-attestation is required, all attendees must wear face coverings.
- Additionally, in very high-risk congregate living settings such as skilled nursing facilities, acute care hospitals, homeless shelters, and jails, San Francisco will require that personnel in these facilities are vaccinated. This requirement will go into effect after the United States Food and Drug Administration gives full approval to one of the COVID-19 vaccines which currently have emergency use authorization.
- In school, youth and childcare settings, San Francisco intends to align its face covering requirements with the State and otherwise maintain its existing guidance while it awaits anticipated further reopening guidance from the CDC and State. Over the coming days, San Francisco will review the State’s Beyond the Blueprint for Industry and Business Sectors guide as well as the Masking Guidance that the State issued earlier today to consider any additional guidance or requirements it feels are necessary to protect residents, workers, and visitors and safeguard our reopening and economic recovery.
Breathe in fresh air and enjoy live music at a gorgeous spot!
The Palace of Fine Arts is the stage for the magic of
live music performances (safe distanced)
From live-stream, to live ~ Piano at the Palace
- The mission of Piano at The Palace is to provide free educational concerts to the San Francisco community, explore unconventional settings for classical music outside of traditional concert halls, and promote the culture of classical piano around the Bay Area. To support or donate, please visit www.pianoatthepalace.com.
- FREE, RSVP Required ~ Register through Eventbrite
Outdoor Live Piano Concert under the Rotunda at Palace of Fine Arts, with designated seating, interactive program notes, free admission.
[IF SOLD OUT] Please join the waitlist, in anticipation of San Francisco County to reach yellow tier by May 25th, which would allow the organizers to open up more seating availability. Thank you!
Berlin & Beyond Film Festival Programs Announced
May 25-30, 2021
Tickets go on sale May 6*
- Virtual festival experiences will feature live broadcast screenings, interactive Q&As, and on-demand streaming movies.
- San Francisco’s 25th Anniversary Berlin & Beyond Film Festival is thrilled to announce the full program of films, running May 25-30, 2021. The hybrid festival’s main slate of programming will be on the virtual cinema platform, along with two evenings on May 25th & 26th, under the stars, at the Fort Mason Flix drive-in, and a very special return to the cinema on May 29th at the 109-year-old Vogue Theater. Virtual festival experiences will feature live broadcast screenings, interactive Q&As, and on-demand streaming movies.
The FULL PROGRAM GUIDE CAN BE VIEWED AT THIS LINK:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2n47x5hjecqm1fr/25th_BerlinBeyond_2021Program.pdf?dl=0
- The 25th anniversary program includes a diverse range of countries and cultures represented. Although most of the films are in the German language, the other languages spoken in the various films are Swiss German, English, Kurdish, French, Farsi, Indonesian, Mongolian, Albanian, Portuguese, Soninke, and Swahili.
- The Festival also celebrates work by female filmmakers. This year, of the 25 directors of the 24 films, 15 of the directors are women.
- The 2021 Berlin & Beyond Film Festival sponsors and partners include: the Goethe-Institut San Francisco as Presenting Partner; San Francisco Grants for the Arts, DW (Deutsche Welle), and Excelsior German Center as Premiere Sponsors; German Films / German Film Office as Signature Sponsor; Special Support from the Consulate General of Germany and the Consulate General of Switzerland.
- Virtual festival experiences will feature live broadcast screenings, interactive Q&As, and on-demand streaming movies.
- The 2021 Berlin & Beyond programs include a diverse range of countries and cultures represented. Although most of the films are in the German language, the other languages spoken in the various films are Swiss German, English, Kurdish, French, Farsi, Indonesian, Mongolian, Albanian, Portuguese and Soninke. The Festival also celebrates work by female filmmakers. This year, of the 25 directors of the 24 films, 15 of the directors are women.
- The 2021 Berlin & Beyond Film Festival sponsors and partners include: the Goethe-Institut San Francisco as Presenting Partner; San Francisco Grants for the Arts and DW (Deutsche Welle) as Premiere Sponsors; German Films / German Film Office as Signature Sponsor; Special Support from the Consulate General of Germany, the Consulate General of Switzerland, the Excelsior German Center.
 Fort Mason Flix drive-in to host select Berlin & Beyond screenings |  Vogue Theatre to host Berlin & Beyond screenings on May 29 |
Guide to the festival: How to Fest
SHOWCASE FILMS
OPENING NIGHT FILM [DRIVE-IN]
Sisters Apart (Im Feuer)
Dir. Daphne Charizani –– Germany, Greece | 2020 | 93 min.
Northern California Premiere
Rojda is a young German soldier with Kurdish-Iraqi roots who has lived in Germany since childhood. She is now looking for her mother, Ferhat, in a Greek refugee camp. When the two finally find each other after so many years apart, they are overjoyed. But their happiness soon fades when Rojda learns that her sister, Dilan, is still in Iraq.
Official Selection: Berlinale (Perspective Deutsches Kino)
In English, German and Kurdish with English subtitles
Starring: Almila Bagriacik, Zübeyde Bulut, Maryam Boubani
Clip: https://youtu.be/4vujbRp0418
CENTERPIECE FILM [VIRTUAL]
Berlin Alexanderplatz
Dir. Burhan Qurbani –– Germany, Netherlands, Canada, France | 2020 | 183 min.
Northern California Premiere
As Francis gets washed up on the shores of Southern Europe, he swears an oath to God: From now on he wants to be a new, a better, a decent man. Soon after Francis finds himself in Berlin, where he realizes how hard it is to be righteous when you are an illegal refugee in Germany – without papers, without nation and without a work permit. Eventually he is sucked into Berlin’s underworld and his life spirals out of control. A boundary-pushing vision of the classic novel by Alfred Döblin.
Official Selection: Berlinale (Competition) and Morelia
In German, English, Portuguese and Soninke with English subtitles
Starring: Welket Bungué, Jella Haase, Albrecht Schuch
Trailer: https://youtu.be/Q9nZFUgyclE
CLOSING NIGHT FILM [VIRTUAL]
Cocoon (Kokon)
Dir. Leonie Krippendorff –– Germany | 2020 | 95 min.
Summer in Berlin. Shy, 14-year-old Nora is surrounded by people with disrupted biographies, from different cultures and backgrounds. She gets her first period, falls in love with another girl, learns to stand up for herself and gets her heart broken for the first time.
Official Selection: Guadalajara, Istanbul, São Paulo, Taipei, TIFF
In German with English subtitles
Starring: Lena Urzendowsky, Jella Haase, Lena Klenke, Elina Vildanova
Trailer: https://youtu.be/50UvhhCVmA4
CINEMA PANORAMA
Cortex – Are You Awake?
Dir. Moritz Bleibtreu –– Germany | 2020 | 97 min. | US West Coast Premiere
Two men, two lives, a fateful encounter: Hagen suffers from irregular phases of sleep in which he cannot decide between dream and reality. When his frustrated wife cheats on him with the small-time criminal, Niko a series of disturbing events is set in motion and the lives of both men will never be the same. The feature directorial debut by Moritz Bleibtreu ( Run Lola Run).
Official Selection: Hamburg, Zurich, Tallinn, Miami
In German with English subtitles
Starring: Jannis Niewöhner, Nadja Uhl, Moritz Bleibtreu
Trailer: https://youtu.be/F4Bd-VE6iuo
Enfant Terrible
Dir. Oskar Roehler –– Germany | 2020 | 134 min. | US West Coast Premiere
When 22-year-old Rainer Werner Fassbinder storms the stage of a small, progressive theatre in Munich 1967, and seizes the production without further ado, nobody suspects this brazen young rebel to become one of the most important post-war German filmmakers. Despite early setbacks, many of his films break out at the most renowned films festivals and polarize audience, critics and filmmakers alike. His radical views and self-exploitation, as well as his longing for love, have made him one of the most fascinating film directors of this time.
Official Selection: Cannes, Hamburg, Seville, Tallinn
In German with English subtitles
Starring: Oliver Masucci, Katja Riemann, Hary Prinz, Alexander Scheer, Erdal Yildiz
Trailer: https://youtu.be/ppYiW8oXdLs
Narcissus and Goldmund (Narziss und Goldmund)
Dir. Stefan Ruzowitzky –– Germany | 2020 | 110 min. | US West Coast Premiere
Based on the bestseller by Nobel Prize in Literature-winning author Hermann Hesse. From the director of the Academy Award-winning The Counterfeiters. In the Middle Ages, young, unruly Goldmund is sent to a monastery by his father to atone for the sins of his mother, who abandoned them. There he meets Narcissus, a brilliant, scholarly novice. A unique life-long friendship is born. Narcissus remains detached from the world in prayer and meditation. Goldmund, who is passionate and impulsive, runs away to live a wanderer's life. His amorous and artistic adventures leads him to the extremes of both ecstasy and pain. One day these friends cross paths again.
In German with English subtitles
Starring: Jannis Niewöhner, Sabin Tambrea, Emilia Schüle
Trailer: https://youtu.be/xnHrfYp6HCI
Nowhere in Africa (Nirgendwo in Afrika ) 20th Anniversary
Dir. Caroline Link –– Germany | 2001 | 141 min.
This love story spanning two continents, based on the best-selling autobiographical novel by Stefanie Zweig, tells the extraordinary true tale of a Jewish family who flees the Nazi regime in 1938 for a remote farm in Kenya. Abandoning their once-comfortable existence in Germany, Walter Redlich, his wife Jettel (Juliane Köhler, of Aimée & Jaguar) and their five-year-old daughter Regina each deal with the harsh realities of their new life in different ways. Attorney Walter is resigned to working the farm as a caretaker; pampered Jettel resists adjustment at every turn; while the shy yet curious Regina immediately embraces the country— learning the local language and customs, and finding a friend in Owuor, the farm’s cook. As the war rages on the other side of the world, the trio’s relationships to their strange environment become increasingly complicated as Jettel grows more self-assured and Walter more haunted by the life they left behind. As they eventually learn to cherish their life in Africa, they also endeavor to find a way back to each other. Winner of the 2002 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, as well as five 2002 German Film Awards (Golden Lolas), including best film, director and cinematography.
The event will be highlighted by a Career Achievement Award tribute to German filmmaker and screenwriter Caroline Link, the film’s director. The tribute program will precede the film.
In German and Swahili with English subtitles
Starring: Juliane Köhler, Merab Ninidze, Sidede Onyulo, Matthias Habich, Lea Kurka
Trailer: https://youtu.be/Hep5_o--OEE
Veins of the World (Die Adern der Welt)
Dir. Byambasuren Davaa –– Germany, Mongolia | 2020 | 96 min. | SF Premiere
In a province in the middle of the Mongolian steppe, 11-year-old Amra lives a traditional nomad life with his mother Zaya, father Erdene and little sister Altaa. Their peaceful routine is threatened by the encroachment of international mining companies, digging for gold and devastating the natural habitat. Erdene is the leader of the last nomads opposing them, and tries to unite and convince his comrades not to accept the compensations offered. But after Amra's father dies in a tragic car accident, his mother wants to give up the nomad life and trade the steppe for the city. But Amra refuses and tries to carry on his father's David vs. Goliath fight with his cleverness and the tools of an 11-year-old boy.Mongolia's Official Entry to the 2021 Academy Awards.
Official Selection: Berlinale (Generation), Mill Valley
In Mongolian with English subtitles
Starring: Bat-Ireedui Batmunkh, Purevdorj Uranchimeg, Enerel Tumeni
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/445363766
Yella
Dir. Christian Petzold –– Germany | 2007 | 89 min.
In this stylish and deliciously suspenseful mystery, Yella escapes her volatile ex-husband, and flees her small hometown in former East Germany for a new life in the West. She finds a promising job with Philipp, a handsome business executive with whom an unlikely romance soon blossoms. But just as Yella seems poised to realize her dreams, she finds herself haunted by buried truths that threaten to destroy her newfound happiness.
The event will be highlighted by a Tribute to Ingrid Eggers, Founder of the Berlin & Beyond Film Festival.
In German with English subtitles
Starring: Nina Hoss, Devid Striesow, Hinnerk Schönemann
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/151031996
DOCUMENTARIES
Born in Evin
Dir. Maryam Zaree –– Germany, Austria | 2019 | 95 min. | Northern California Premiere
The documentary follows filmmaker and actress, Maryam Zaree, on her quest to find out the violent circumstances surrounding her birth inside one of the most notorious political jails in the world: Evin Prison, in Tehran, Iran. Maryam’s parents were imprisoned shortly after Ayatollah Khomeini came to power in 1979, a period in which tens of thousands of political dissidents were arrested and tortured. On this vulnerable, lyrical journey Maryam considers the impact of trauma on the bodies and souls of survivors and their children, leading her to question how her generation can relate to their own history while also respecting the people they love as they prefer to heal in silence.
Winner Best Film, Perspektive Deutsches Kino, Berlinale 2019.
In German, English, French, and Farsi with English subtitles
Trailer: https://youtu.be/TBILslh1roY
Glitter & Dust (Glitzer & Staub)
Dirs. Anna Koch & Julia Lemke –– Germany | 2020 | 91 min.
US West Coast Premiere
Four girls living in the lonely vastness of the USA share one passion: the wild world of rodeo. Although they move about in the powerful imagery of the American prairie and the myths of the Wild West, they give it new resonance and break free of it. In a world that used to belong to their fathers and brothers, they prove that “you ride like a girl” is not an insult but a compliment.
Official Selection: Krakow, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong
In English
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/424060598
Walchensee Forever
Dir. Janna Ji Wonders –– Germany | 2020 | 110 min. | Northern California Premiere
This documentary family saga is a voyage of discovery spanning four generations of women over a century. In order to uncover the secrets and her role in the generation chain, director Janna Ji Wonders leads us from the family café at the Bavarian Lake Walchensee via Mexico to San Francisco during the “Summer of Love”, Indian ashrams, a German commune and back again and again to Lake Walchensee. Questions about identity, roots and self-fulfillment are asked through this search for life, love and death. It is a personal story about the eternal cycle of life.
Official Selection: Tel Aviv, Riga, Tallinn, Thessaloniki
In German and English with English subtitles
Trailer: https://youtu.be/_dZJjrGyssk
SWISS WINDOW
My Wonderful Wanda (Wanda, mein Wunder)
Dir. Bettina Oberli –– Switzerland | 2020 | 111 min.
This delightful satire of the haves and the have-nots is set against the backdrop of a gorgeous lakeside villa in Switzerland. Wanda is a Polish caretaker who has left her own small children in Poland to look after a stroke-ridden patriarch of a wealthy Wegmeister-Gloor dynasty. Wanda adeptly navigates the tricky family dynamics between the two grown (if still childish) offspring and the elegant if controlling matriarch, but an unexpected turn of events turns everything upside down.
Winner of awards at Tribeca and Vancouver Film Festivals.
In German and Swiss German with English subtitles
Starring: Agnieszka Grochowska, Marthe Keller, André Jung, Birgit Minichmayr,
Jacob Matschenz
Trailer: https://youtu.be/68b5zqGeOLc
One-Way to Moscow (Moskau Einfach!)
Dir. Micha Lewinsky –– Switzerland | 2020 | 99 min. | Northern California Premiere
Around the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall, hundreds of thousands of people were spied on in Switzerland. Policeman Schuler goes undercover to reveal a possible political coup in the Zurich Schauspielhaus.
Official Selection: São Paulo, Solothurn, Santa Barbara, Cleveland
In Swiss German and German with English subtitles
Starring: Philippe Graber, Miriam Stein, Mike Müller
Trailer: https://youtu.be/lzQ-6UGDAwM
GOETHE FORUM
Berlin Alexanderplatz – see CENTERPIECE FILM (above)
Exile (Exil)
Dir. Visar Morina –– Germany, Belgium, Republic Kosovo | 2020 | 121 min. Northern California Premiere
Xhafer, a 45 year old, Kosovo-born pharmaceutical engineer living in Germany suddenly feels discriminated against and bullied at work because of his ethnic background. Every occurrence, every word, every gesture is taken as evidence. Do his colleagues simply dislike him? Or is there more to their hostility? Is this all in his mind or is it the actual reality? In his second feature-length film, director Visar Morina dissects the psychological effects of social exclusion and presents them here as an interplay between belonging and alienation.
Official Selection: Berlinale (Panorama)
In German and Albanian with English subtitles
Starring: Mišel Matičević, Sandra Hüller, Rainer Bock, Thomas Mraz
Trailer: https://youtu.be/lwi9Rf6CkUY
SHORT STORIES
Bambirak
Dir. Zamarin Wahdat –– Germany | 2020 | 13 min. | US West Coast Premiere
When 8-year-old Kati from Afghanistan stows away in her father's delivery van, Faruk must juggle his responsibilities as a single dad while holding down his first job in a new country. As their relationship deepens, a brush with covert racism tests the bond between a father and daughter.
Winner of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Jury Award for International Fiction.
Starring: Kailas Mahadeva, Lara Cengiz-Karinnes
In German and Dari with English subtitles
Conversations with a Whale
Dir. Anna Samo –– Germany | 2020 | 9 min. | California Premiere
In this love letter to artists, their art and its audience, one filmmaker is confronted with rejection after rejection until at last, a beautiful fig tree bears sweet fruits.
Official Selection: Annecy, Seattle, Tallinn, Hamburg
In English
Dear to Me
Dir. Monica Vanesa Tedja –– Germany, Indonesia | 2020 | 19 min. | North American Premiere
A 27-year-old Indonesian, Tim, is having a family vacation with both of his parents on a remote island far from the city, where they learn about the myth of a reincarnated deer that exists somewhere along the beach. Island locals believe that seeing the deer is a sign of meeting one’s soulmate. Tim is the only one who secretly hoping to discover the deer, hiding his desire from his very devout Christian parents.
Starring: Jourdy Pranata, Jerome Kurnia, Willem Bevers
In Indonesian with English subtitles
Interstate 8
Dir. Anne Thieme –– Germany, USA | 2019 | 15 min. | California Premiere
In the southern United States, two young women meet by chance in the back of a police car and, without saying a word, experience the injustice hovering above them.
Official Selection: Warsaw, Barcelona, RiverRun USA
In English
Starring: Stephanie Amarell, Isabela Rengifo, Jacobi Howard, Drew Matthews
Learn to Swim (Freischwimmer)
Dir. Gaya Von Schwarze –– Germany | 2019 | 17 min. | Northern California Premiere
On an ordinary Sunday morning, Karin breaks out of her conventions and impulsively leaves home on her daughter's racing bicycle. She wants to look for her son, who left the sheltered family home a while ago. Karin’s way leads her to a farm where her son has settled down with other social dropouts.
Official Selection: Palm Springs, San Sebastian
In German with English subtitles
Starring: Luca Henning, Stephanie Petrowitz
Meeting
Dir. Jannis Alexander Kiefer –– Germany | 2020 | 9 min. | US Premiere | North American Premiere
3 minutes before the online meeting: The welcoming joke is well though out, the bottle is neatly tucked into the underwear, and the internet connection is premium – what could possibly go wrong? 2020 Winner of the German Short Film Award.
Official Selection: Bremen
Starring: Gisa Flake, Jürgen Heimüller, Gabriela Lindl, Gregor Knop
In German with English subtitles
The One Who Crossed the Sea (Der Übers Meer Kam)
Dir. Jonas Riemer –– Germany, Austria | 2020 | 11 min. | North American Premiere
An animated documentary that tells the story of a GDR refugee who joins the New Right. In a folding boat, he flees via Denmark to Western Germany, where the story tips into the dark. His newly acquired freedom turns into disorientation. Only in a burgeoning nationalist movement does he find a new home.
Official Selection: Dresden, Berlin, Lenzing, Athens
In German with English subtitles
Revolvo
Dir. Francy Fabritz –– Germany | 2019 | 8 min.
Two women are kidnapping a dubious right-wing politician by elegantly stealing his car with him caught in the boot. What seems like a supposedly harmless ride at first glance turns into a plan of revenge.
Official Selection: Hof, Lisbon, San Sebastian, Clermont-Ferrand
Starring: Marion Brasch, Paul Frielinghaus, Sigrid Grajek
In German with English subtitles
YOUTH 4 GERMAN CINEMA
DRIVE-IN and VIRTUAL CINEMA
Lessons of a Dream (Der ganz große Traum ) 10th Anniversary
Dir. Sebastian Grobler –– Germany | 2011 | 113 min.
Loosely based on the life of German football pioneer Konrad Koch in the late 19th-century. The young teacher Konrad Koch (Daniel Brühl) is hired to teach English at a strictly-run German school for boys in 1874. The reform-minded headmaster von Merfeld (Burghart Klaussner) has hired Koch as one of the very first English teachers of all at a German secondary school in order to let a fresh new wind into his musty institution. Koch sees how badly this is needed in his very first class. Everything that the boys know about England is common prejudices handed down from one generation to the next. In order to stir up some enthusiasm for the foreign language, Oxford graduate Koch resorts to unusual means and introduces his students to a curious sport that comes from Britain: football.
Starring: Daniel Brühl, Burghart Klaußner, Thomas Thieme, Theo Trebs
Trailer: https://youtu.be/fTZFLhKaiJU
SPECIAL GUESTS AND TRIBUTES
Ingrid Eggers
Founder of the Berlin & Beyond Film Festival with Yella
Caroline Link
2021 Career Achievement Award with Nowhere in Africa 20th Anniversary
Daphne Charizani
Director of Sisters Apart
Bettina Oberli
Director of My Wonderful Wanda
Burhan Qurbani
Director of Berlin Alexanderplatz
Filmmaker Caroline Link will be honored with a Career Achievement Award tribute, in conjunction with screening of Nowhere In Africa 20th Anniversary
Fort Mason Flix drive-in to host select Berlin & Beyond screenings
Berlin & Beyond Film Festival online.
OPENING NIGHT FILM [DRIVE-IN]
Sisters Apart (Im Feuer)
Dir. Daphne Charizani –– Germany, Greece | 2020 | 93 min.
Northern California Premiere
Rojda is a young German soldier with Kurdish-Iraqi roots who has lived in Germany since childhood. She is now looking for her mother, Ferhat, in a Greek refugee camp. When the two finally find each other after so many years apart, they are overjoyed. But their happiness soon fades when Rojda learns that her sister, Dilan, is still in Iraq.
Official Selection: Berlinale (Perspective Deutsches Kino)
In English, German and Kurdish with English subtitles
Starring: Almila Bagriacik, Zübeyde Bulut, Maryam Boubani
Clip: https://youtu.be/4vujbRp0418
CENTERPIECE FILM [VIRTUAL]
Berlin Alexanderplatz
Dir. Burhan Qurbani –– Germany, Netherlands, Canada, France | 2020 | 183 min.
Northern California Premiere
As Francis gets washed up on the shores of Southern Europe, he swears an oath to God: From now on he wants to be a new, a better, a decent man. Soon after Francis finds himself in Berlin, where he realizes how hard it is to be righteous when you are an illegal refugee in Germany – without papers, without nation and without a work permit. Eventually he is sucked into Berlin’s underworld and his life spirals out of control. A boundary-pushing vision of the classic novel by Alfred Döblin.
Official Selection: Berlinale (Competition) and Morelia
In German, English, Portuguese and Soninke with English subtitles
Starring: Welket Bungué, Jella Haase, Albrecht Schuch
Trailer: https://youtu.be/Q9nZFUgyclE
CLOSING NIGHT FILM [VIRTUAL]
Cocoon (Kokon)
Dir. Leonie Krippendorff –– Germany | 2020 | 95 min.
Summer in Berlin. Shy, 14-year-old Nora is surrounded by people with disrupted biographies, from different cultures and backgrounds. She gets her first period, falls in love with another girl, learns to stand up for herself and gets her heart broken for the first time.
Official Selection: Guadalajara, Istanbul, São Paulo, Taipei, TIFF
In German with English subtitles
Starring: Lena Urzendowsky, Jella Haase, Lena Klenke, Elina Vildanova
Trailer: https://youtu.be/50UvhhCVmA4
CINEMA PANORAMA
Cortex – Are You Awake?
Dir. Moritz Bleibtreu –– Germany | 2020 | 97 min. | US West Coast Premiere
Two men, two lives, a fateful encounter: Hagen suffers from irregular phases of sleep in which he cannot decide between dream and reality. When his frustrated wife cheats on him with the small-time criminal, Niko a series of disturbing events is set in motion and the lives of both men will never be the same. The feature directorial debut by Moritz Bleibtreu ( Run Lola Run).
Official Selection: Hamburg, Zurich, Tallinn, Miami
In German with English subtitles
Starring: Jannis Niewöhner, Nadja Uhl, Moritz Bleibtreu
Trailer: https://youtu.be/F4Bd-VE6iuo
Enfant Terrible
Dir. Oskar Roehler –– Germany | 2020 | 134 min. | US West Coast Premiere
When 22-year-old Rainer Werner Fassbinder storms the stage of a small, progressive theatre in Munich 1967, and seizes the production without further ado, nobody suspects this brazen young rebel to become one of the most important post-war German filmmakers. Despite early setbacks, many of his films break out at the most renowned films festivals and polarize audience, critics and filmmakers alike. His radical views and self-exploitation, as well as his longing for love, have made him one of the most fascinating film directors of this time.
Official Selection: Cannes, Hamburg, Seville, Tallinn
In German with English subtitles
Starring: Oliver Masucci, Katja Riemann, Hary Prinz, Alexander Scheer, Erdal Yildiz
Trailer: https://youtu.be/ppYiW8oXdLs
Narcissus and Goldmund (Narziss und Goldmund)
Dir. Stefan Ruzowitzky –– Germany | 2020 | 110 min. | US West Coast Premiere
Based on the bestseller by Nobel Prize in Literature-winning author Hermann Hesse. From the director of the Academy Award-winning The Counterfeiters. In the Middle Ages, young, unruly Goldmund is sent to a monastery by his father to atone for the sins of his mother, who abandoned them. There he meets Narcissus, a brilliant, scholarly novice. A unique life-long friendship is born. Narcissus remains detached from the world in prayer and meditation. Goldmund, who is passionate and impulsive, runs away to live a wanderer's life. His amorous and artistic adventures leads him to the extremes of both ecstasy and pain. One day these friends cross paths again.
In German with English subtitles
Starring: Jannis Niewöhner, Sabin Tambrea, Emilia Schüle
Trailer: https://youtu.be/xnHrfYp6HCI
Nowhere in Africa (Nirgendwo in Afrika ) 20th Anniversary
Dir. Caroline Link –– Germany | 2001 | 141 min.
This love story spanning two continents, based on the best-selling autobiographical novel by Stefanie Zweig, tells the extraordinary true tale of a Jewish family who flees the Nazi regime in 1938 for a remote farm in Kenya. Abandoning their once-comfortable existence in Germany, Walter Redlich, his wife Jettel (Juliane Köhler, of Aimée & Jaguar) and their five-year-old daughter Regina each deal with the harsh realities of their new life in different ways. Attorney Walter is resigned to working the farm as a caretaker; pampered Jettel resists adjustment at every turn; while the shy yet curious Regina immediately embraces the country— learning the local language and customs, and finding a friend in Owuor, the farm’s cook. As the war rages on the other side of the world, the trio’s relationships to their strange environment become increasingly complicated as Jettel grows more self-assured and Walter more haunted by the life they left behind. As they eventually learn to cherish their life in Africa, they also endeavor to find a way back to each other. Winner of the 2002 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, as well as five 2002 German Film Awards (Golden Lolas), including best film, director and cinematography.
The event will be highlighted by a Career Achievement Award tribute to German filmmaker and screenwriter Caroline Link, the film’s director. The tribute program will precede the film.
In German and Swahili with English subtitles
Starring: Juliane Köhler, Merab Ninidze, Sidede Onyulo, Matthias Habich, Lea Kurka
Trailer: https://youtu.be/Hep5_o--OEE
Veins of the World (Die Adern der Welt)
Dir. Byambasuren Davaa –– Germany, Mongolia | 2020 | 96 min. | SF Premiere
In a province in the middle of the Mongolian steppe, 11-year-old Amra lives a traditional nomad life with his mother Zaya, father Erdene and little sister Altaa. Their peaceful routine is threatened by the encroachment of international mining companies, digging for gold and devastating the natural habitat. Erdene is the leader of the last nomads opposing them, and tries to unite and convince his comrades not to accept the compensations offered. But after Amra's father dies in a tragic car accident, his mother wants to give up the nomad life and trade the steppe for the city. But Amra refuses and tries to carry on his father's David vs. Goliath fight with his cleverness and the tools of an 11-year-old boy.Mongolia's Official Entry to the 2021 Academy Awards.
Official Selection: Berlinale (Generation), Mill Valley
In Mongolian with English subtitles
Starring: Bat-Ireedui Batmunkh, Purevdorj Uranchimeg, Enerel Tumeni
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/445363766
Yella
Dir. Christian Petzold –– Germany | 2007 | 89 min.
In this stylish and deliciously suspenseful mystery, Yella escapes her volatile ex-husband, and flees her small hometown in former East Germany for a new life in the West. She finds a promising job with Philipp, a handsome business executive with whom an unlikely romance soon blossoms. But just as Yella seems poised to realize her dreams, she finds herself haunted by buried truths that threaten to destroy her newfound happiness.
The event will be highlighted by a Tribute to Ingrid Eggers, Founder of the Berlin & Beyond Film Festival.
In German with English subtitles
Starring: Nina Hoss, Devid Striesow, Hinnerk Schönemann
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/151031996
DOCUMENTARIES
Born in Evin
Dir. Maryam Zaree –– Germany, Austria | 2019 | 95 min. | Northern California Premiere
The documentary follows filmmaker and actress, Maryam Zaree, on her quest to find out the violent circumstances surrounding her birth inside one of the most notorious political jails in the world: Evin Prison, in Tehran, Iran. Maryam’s parents were imprisoned shortly after Ayatollah Khomeini came to power in 1979, a period in which tens of thousands of political dissidents were arrested and tortured. On this vulnerable, lyrical journey Maryam considers the impact of trauma on the bodies and souls of survivors and their children, leading her to question how her generation can relate to their own history while also respecting the people they love as they prefer to heal in silence.
Winner Best Film, Perspektive Deutsches Kino, Berlinale 2019.
In German, English, French, and Farsi with English subtitles
Trailer: https://youtu.be/TBILslh1roY
Glitter & Dust (Glitzer & Staub)
Dirs. Anna Koch & Julia Lemke –– Germany | 2020 | 91 min.
US West Coast Premiere
Four girls living in the lonely vastness of the USA share one passion: the wild world of rodeo. Although they move about in the powerful imagery of the American prairie and the myths of the Wild West, they give it new resonance and break free of it. In a world that used to belong to their fathers and brothers, they prove that “you ride like a girl” is not an insult but a compliment.
Official Selection: Krakow, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong
In English
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/424060598
Walchensee Forever
Dir. Janna Ji Wonders –– Germany | 2020 | 110 min. | Northern California Premiere
This documentary family saga is a voyage of discovery spanning four generations of women over a century. In order to uncover the secrets and her role in the generation chain, director Janna Ji Wonders leads us from the family café at the Bavarian Lake Walchensee via Mexico to San Francisco during the “Summer of Love”, Indian ashrams, a German commune and back again and again to Lake Walchensee. Questions about identity, roots and self-fulfillment are asked through this search for life, love and death. It is a personal story about the eternal cycle of life.
Official Selection: Tel Aviv, Riga, Tallinn, Thessaloniki
In German and English with English subtitles
Trailer: https://youtu.be/_dZJjrGyssk
SWISS WINDOW
My Wonderful Wanda (Wanda, mein Wunder)
Dir. Bettina Oberli –– Switzerland | 2020 | 111 min.
This delightful satire of the haves and the have-nots is set against the backdrop of a gorgeous lakeside villa in Switzerland. Wanda is a Polish caretaker who has left her own small children in Poland to look after a stroke-ridden patriarch of a wealthy Wegmeister-Gloor dynasty. Wanda adeptly navigates the tricky family dynamics between the two grown (if still childish) offspring and the elegant if controlling matriarch, but an unexpected turn of events turns everything upside down.
Winner of awards at Tribeca and Vancouver Film Festivals.
In German and Swiss German with English subtitles
Starring: Agnieszka Grochowska, Marthe Keller, André Jung, Birgit Minichmayr,
Jacob Matschenz
Trailer: https://youtu.be/68b5zqGeOLc
One-Way to Moscow (Moskau Einfach!)
Dir. Micha Lewinsky –– Switzerland | 2020 | 99 min. | Northern California Premiere
Around the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall, hundreds of thousands of people were spied on in Switzerland. Policeman Schuler goes undercover to reveal a possible political coup in the Zurich Schauspielhaus.
Official Selection: São Paulo, Solothurn, Santa Barbara, Cleveland
In Swiss German and German with English subtitles
Starring: Philippe Graber, Miriam Stein, Mike Müller
Trailer: https://youtu.be/lzQ-6UGDAwM
GOETHE FORUM
Berlin Alexanderplatz – see CENTERPIECE FILM (above)
Exile (Exil)
Dir. Visar Morina –– Germany, Belgium, Republic Kosovo | 2020 | 121 min. Northern California Premiere
Xhafer, a 45 year old, Kosovo-born pharmaceutical engineer living in Germany suddenly feels discriminated against and bullied at work because of his ethnic background. Every occurrence, every word, every gesture is taken as evidence. Do his colleagues simply dislike him? Or is there more to their hostility? Is this all in his mind or is it the actual reality? In his second feature-length film, director Visar Morina dissects the psychological effects of social exclusion and presents them here as an interplay between belonging and alienation.
Official Selection: Berlinale (Panorama)
In German and Albanian with English subtitles
Starring: Mišel Matičević, Sandra Hüller, Rainer Bock, Thomas Mraz
Trailer: https://youtu.be/lwi9Rf6CkUY
SHORT STORIES
Bambirak
Dir. Zamarin Wahdat –– Germany | 2020 | 13 min. | US West Coast Premiere
When 8-year-old Kati from Afghanistan stows away in her father's delivery van, Faruk must juggle his responsibilities as a single dad while holding down his first job in a new country. As their relationship deepens, a brush with covert racism tests the bond between a father and daughter.
Winner of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Jury Award for International Fiction.
Starring: Kailas Mahadeva, Lara Cengiz-Karinnes
In German and Dari with English subtitles
Conversations with a Whale
Dir. Anna Samo –– Germany | 2020 | 9 min. | California Premiere
In this love letter to artists, their art and its audience, one filmmaker is confronted with rejection after rejection until at last, a beautiful fig tree bears sweet fruits.
Official Selection: Annecy, Seattle, Tallinn, Hamburg
In English
Dear to Me
Dir. Monica Vanesa Tedja –– Germany, Indonesia | 2020 | 19 min. | North American Premiere
A 27-year-old Indonesian, Tim, is having a family vacation with both of his parents on a remote island far from the city, where they learn about the myth of a reincarnated deer that exists somewhere along the beach. Island locals believe that seeing the deer is a sign of meeting one’s soulmate. Tim is the only one who secretly hoping to discover the deer, hiding his desire from his very devout Christian parents.
Starring: Jourdy Pranata, Jerome Kurnia, Willem Bevers
In Indonesian with English subtitles
Interstate 8
Dir. Anne Thieme –– Germany, USA | 2019 | 15 min. | California Premiere
In the southern United States, two young women meet by chance in the back of a police car and, without saying a word, experience the injustice hovering above them.
Official Selection: Warsaw, Barcelona, RiverRun USA
In English
Starring: Stephanie Amarell, Isabela Rengifo, Jacobi Howard, Drew Matthews
Learn to Swim (Freischwimmer)
Dir. Gaya Von Schwarze –– Germany | 2019 | 17 min. | Northern California Premiere
On an ordinary Sunday morning, Karin breaks out of her conventions and impulsively leaves home on her daughter's racing bicycle. She wants to look for her son, who left the sheltered family home a while ago. Karin’s way leads her to a farm where her son has settled down with other social dropouts.
Official Selection: Palm Springs, San Sebastian
In German with English subtitles
Starring: Luca Henning, Stephanie Petrowitz
Meeting
Dir. Jannis Alexander Kiefer –– Germany | 2020 | 9 min. | US Premiere | North American Premiere
3 minutes before the online meeting: The welcoming joke is well though out, the bottle is neatly tucked into the underwear, and the internet connection is premium – what could possibly go wrong? 2020 Winner of the German Short Film Award.
Official Selection: Bremen
Starring: Gisa Flake, Jürgen Heimüller, Gabriela Lindl, Gregor Knop
In German with English subtitles
The One Who Crossed the Sea (Der Übers Meer Kam)
Dir. Jonas Riemer –– Germany, Austria | 2020 | 11 min. | North American Premiere
An animated documentary that tells the story of a GDR refugee who joins the New Right. In a folding boat, he flees via Denmark to Western Germany, where the story tips into the dark. His newly acquired freedom turns into disorientation. Only in a burgeoning nationalist movement does he find a new home.
Official Selection: Dresden, Berlin, Lenzing, Athens
In German with English subtitles
Revolvo
Dir. Francy Fabritz –– Germany | 2019 | 8 min.
Two women are kidnapping a dubious right-wing politician by elegantly stealing his car with him caught in the boot. What seems like a supposedly harmless ride at first glance turns into a plan of revenge.
Official Selection: Hof, Lisbon, San Sebastian, Clermont-Ferrand
Starring: Marion Brasch, Paul Frielinghaus, Sigrid Grajek
In German with English subtitles
YOUTH 4 GERMAN CINEMA
DRIVE-IN and VIRTUAL CINEMA
Lessons of a Dream (Der ganz große Traum ) 10th Anniversary
Dir. Sebastian Grobler –– Germany | 2011 | 113 min.
Loosely based on the life of German football pioneer Konrad Koch in the late 19th-century. The young teacher Konrad Koch (Daniel Brühl) is hired to teach English at a strictly-run German school for boys in 1874. The reform-minded headmaster von Merfeld (Burghart Klaussner) has hired Koch as one of the very first English teachers of all at a German secondary school in order to let a fresh new wind into his musty institution. Koch sees how badly this is needed in his very first class. Everything that the boys know about England is common prejudices handed down from one generation to the next. In order to stir up some enthusiasm for the foreign language, Oxford graduate Koch resorts to unusual means and introduces his students to a curious sport that comes from Britain: football.
Starring: Daniel Brühl, Burghart Klaußner, Thomas Thieme, Theo Trebs
Trailer: https://youtu.be/fTZFLhKaiJU
SPECIAL GUESTS AND TRIBUTES
Ingrid Eggers
Founder of the Berlin & Beyond Film Festival with Yella
Caroline Link
2021 Career Achievement Award with Nowhere in Africa 20th Anniversary
Daphne Charizani
Director of Sisters Apart
Bettina Oberli
Director of My Wonderful Wanda
Burhan Qurbani
Director of Berlin Alexanderplatz
Filmmaker Caroline Link will be honored with a Career Achievement Award tribute, in conjunction with screening of Nowhere In Africa 20th Anniversary
Fort Mason Flix drive-in to host select Berlin & Beyond screenings
Berlin & Beyond Film Festival online.
Melanie posts:
SF Bay Area updates on upcoming events and what's happening now around town.
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