Still from “Remainder” by Omer Fast
With around 400 screenings a year, it’s no easy feat sorting through the Berlinale programme to find which films are actually worth viewing. To make things easier, we checked out some of the festival’s most buzzed about arthouse flicks and rounded up our favourites.
Still from “The Communist Revolution Was Caused By The Sun” by Anton Vidokle
“The Communist Revolution Was Caused By The Sun” by Anton Vidokle
Russian, 33 minutes
Working as spotlight on Soviet biophysicist Alexander Chizhevsky, this short film examines the impact solar emissions have on humankind in the form of war, revolution and epidemic. Directed by Anton Vidokle, it is the second instalment in his trilogy focused on Russian cosmism. The Kazakh production aims to reveal the depth behind the Soviet’s fascination towards the limitations of earthly life.
Still from “The Right” by Assaf Gruber
“The Right” by Assaf Gruber
Polish, 11 minutes
Part four in a series of short films entitled “The Anonymity of the Night,” this instalment follows an elderly Polish woman as she requests a transfer from the Caravaggio-laden Old Masters Picture Gallery in Dresden to the more attractive Muzeum Sztuki of Lodz. The desire to surround herself among the most renowned leftist Polish avant garde works drives this film by artist Assaf Gruber.
Still from “Fugue” by Kerstin Schroedinger
“Fugue” by Kerstin Schroedinger
English, 8 minutes
Kerstin Schroedinger examines the concept of fugue in this eight-minute clip, which was shown as part of Forum Expanded’s Program 15. The film was accompanied by a set of shorts including “Zakerat Abad El Shams” by Mayye Zayed, “Ruína” by Gabraz Sanna and “The Lamps” by Shelly Silver.
Still from “What we left unfinished” by Mariam Ghani
“What we left unfinished” by Mariam Ghani
English, 90 minutes
Centred on five unfinished Afghan feature films, “What we left unfinished” explores life during the years encompassing the Afghan Communist coup d’êtat. The film is a long-term research project that shows the “what if” behind modern day Afghanistan.
“Remainder” by Omer Fast
English, 104 minutes
This feature-length offering by Israeli video artist Omer Fast depicts a man who has inexplicably become the receiver of £8.5m as hush money. However, the bribe is unnecessary as the nameless protagonist only recently came out of a coma and has no recollection of his past. The film, an adaptation of the debut novel by Tom McCarthy, was met with sold out audiences throughout most of the festival.
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