Reflecting the ambiguities of the world we currently inhabit, Berlinale Forum offers up 17 films in 2021, all of which test the boundaries between doc, fiction, non-fiction and experimental.
The festival narrative reads how, “the certainties we were still able to rely on in Autumn 2019 have become porous. In other parts of the world where such uncertainties are part of everyday life, people may well be more practised in dealing with them. In a Western Europe geared to planning and feasibility, we still need to get used to a situation reminiscent of an agility workshop on a permanent loop. Whoever manages to shoot and finish a film under these conditions deserves great respect.”
The Forum statement continues: “The 17-film selection that makes up the 51st Berlinale Forum focuses on works that deal with uncertainties in the world outside by embracing unpredictability in their plots and structures. It gives preference to the fragile over the proven, with more space dedicated to filmmakers at the start of their careers than their more established colleagues.
The 2021 Berlinale Forum selections are:
À pas aveugles (From Where They Stood) by Christophe Cognet
France/Germany, World prem
Anmaßung (Anamnesis) by Chris Wright, Stefan Kolbe
Germany, World prem
Doch rybaka (Tzarevna Scaling) by Uldus Bakhtiozina
Russian Federation, International prem/debut
Esquí (Ski) by Manque La Banca
Argentina/Brazil, World prem/debut
The First 54 Years – An Abbreviated Manual for Military Occupation by Avi Mograbi
France/Finland/Israel/Germany
with Avi Mograbi, World prem
Garderie nocturne (Night Nursery) by Moumouni Sanou
Burkina Faso/France/Germany
World prem/debut
The Inheritance by Ephraim Asili
USA, Debut
Jai jumlong (Come Here) by Anocha Suwichakornpong
Thailand, World prem
Juste un mouvement (Just A Movement) by Vincent Meessen
Belgium/France, World prem
Mbah Jhiwo (Ancient Soul) by Alvaro Gurrea
Spain, World prem/debut
No táxi do Jack (Jack’s Ride) by Susana Nobre
Portugal, World prem
Qué será del verano (What Will Summer Bring) by Ignacio Ceroi
Argentina, World prem
A River Runs, Turns, Erases, Replaces by Shengze Zhu
USA, World prem
Sichuan hao nuren (The Good Woman of Sichuan) by Sabrina Zhao
Canada, World prem/debut
Ste. Anne by Rhayne Vermette
Canada, World prem/debut film
Taming the Garden by Salomé Jashi
Switzerland/Germany/Georgia
La veduta luminosa (The Luminous View) by Fabrizio Ferraro
Italy/Spain, World prem
Berlinale Forum further comments how, “it goes without saying that more established filmmakers also form a part of the selection. With The First 54 Years – An Abbreviated Manual for Military Occupation, Israeli documentarian Avi Mograbi adds to his rich oeuvre with a bitter breakdown of the meaning of occupation. Berlin directors Chris Wright and Stefan Kolbe sound out the possibilities of documentary filmmaking in their usual unflinching manner in Anmaßung (Anamnesis). And Thai director Anocha Suwichakornpong’s Jai jumlong (Come Here) is a confident continuation of what has already marked her previous work (including 2009’s Mundane History): a blend of narrative subtlety with a view of history that cuts deep.
“At a time when withdrawing into one’s own country, city, neighbourhood, flat or family is what’s being suggested, there’s a considerable risk that our realms of perception will shrink accordingly. The films of the 51st Berlinale Forum thus act as a significant help in allowing our thoughts and imaginations to stay open to the outside world.”
As previously announced, the Generation sections of Berlinale 2021 offer up two documentaries:
Last Days at Sea by Venice Atienza (Generation Kplus)
Philippines/Taiwan, World prem/debut
Reyboy’s world is the sparkling ocean, the hidden treasures on the long coast, the taste of honey rice. The filmmaker accompanies the Filipino boy in his fishing village by the sea as his life is about to change forever. A profound dialogue in thoughts and images about the beauty of the little things and saying goodbye.
From the Wild Sea by Robin Petré (Generation 14plus)
Denmark, World premiere/debut
Weather conditions are becoming more extreme. A giant, stranded whale, seals with plastic in their bodies, oil-coated swans and dolphins that have been rammed by ships – these patients require emergency medical care. The director portrays the critical relationship between humans and wild animals and the consequences of climate change, in profound documental images which are more impactful than any explanation.
