Taking new shape this year, the Berlinale kicks off today in its virtual version, running for the rest of this week before hibernating until June — tentatively, as COVID timelines go — when it will host in-person screening and events. While plenty of festivals have taken a quality hit over the past year, at least in terms of what titles were available to premiere, the 2021 Berlinale boasts an impressive lineup of international heavy-hitters, including the likes of Hong Sang-soo, Ramon Zürcher, and Radu Jude, among others. Beyond the obvious excitement of screening new films from such luminaries, the weighty lineup also, if we’re being hopeful, could be a sign that some version of normalcy, even if only approximate, is none too far away. There are some reasons for (soft) celebration, is what we’re saying. We’ll be back throughout this week (starting tomorrow) and bleeding into next with several dispatches of coverage, but for now, here’s a look at films hitting the Berlinale that we have already covered.
Credit: AFP
by InRO Staff• Featured• Festival Coverage• Film