Berlin’s Greatest Competition is in December – Across the World in 14 Movies
by Alex Billington
December 12, 2022
There is a great little pageant that takes place in Berlin, Germany each December – referred to as Across the World in 14 Movies. Other than the catchy identify of the pageant, it is now my favourite pageant in Berlin. The historic Berlin Movie Competition (aka “Berlinale”) has sadly dropped off the charts by way of high quality, relevance, and (dis)group; they now not maintain the highest spot nor do they display screen that many good movies anymore. Across the World in 14 Movies, however, screens the perfect movies of the yr and does so at among the finest cinema venues within the metropolis. They even usher in filmmakers for Q&As, the movies are all proven of their unique variations (with English subtitles), and the tickets are impressively reasonably priced (at 10€ every). I am fortunate to reside simply down the road from one of many essential venues, the Kulturbrauerei, and visited the fest this yr to look at three movies – two of them for my second time as a result of they’re each in my Prime 10 of 2022.
The “Across the World in 14 Movies” pageant (cease by their official web site) is self-described as “The Berlin Competition of Festivals” – they convey in the perfect movies from the Cannes, Locarno, Venice, San Sebastian, and Toronto Movie Festivals, which run earlier within the yr. The title refers to their unique format, during which they select 14 totally different movies from totally different international locations world wide. This yr’s formidable line-up contains a grand complete of 28 movies, naturally doubling up from their common choice. That is completely fantastic by me as a result of their 2022 choice actually is comprised of the yr’s finest movies, most of which have not proven up in Berlin till this level within the yr (Germany runs very late on releasing most indie movies). I additionally listened to the Q&A with Belgian filmmakers Felix Van Groeningen & Charlotte Vandermeersch this yr after their screening of The Eight Mountains – which I’ve been raving about since its world premiere in Cannes. The crowds are at all times pleasant & . There is not a lot advertising and marketing, so most present up as a result of they need to see these.
Simply check out the 2022 line-up: Mia Hansen-Løve’s newest One Wonderful Morning (trailer) with Léa Seydoux, Alice Diop’s Venice hit Saint Omer (trailer), Jafar Panahi’s acclaimed new movie No Bears, Riley Keough and Gina Gammell’s Native American drama Battle Pony recent from Cannes, Palestinian director Maha Haj’s movie Mediterranean Fever, Iranian director Ali Behrad’s movie Think about, Lola Quivoron’s incredible bike lady movie Rodeo (assessment), Sophie Linnenbaum’s fascinating thriller The Ordinaries (assessment), everybody’s beloved donkey film EO (trailer) made by director Jerzy Skolimowski, Romanian director Cristian Mungiu’s newest R.M.N. (trailer), Albert Serra’s Cannes hit Pacifiction (trailer), pageant favorites The Banshees of Inisherin (trailer) and Remaining Reduce of the Lifeless (trailer), plus two of the perfect Korean movies this yr – Park Chan-wook’s Resolution to Go away (trailer) and Hirokazu Koreeda’s Dealer (trailer) with Track Kang-Ho. With an distinctive line-up of movies like this, you would possibly as effectively await December to catch all the better of the fest in a single week.
My two favorites from 2022 that i went to see for a second time have been Godland, the Icelandic characteristic from director Hlynur Pálmason. This primary premiered in Cannes, however I did not meet up with till Karlovy Fluctuate (my full assessment). It is a breathtaking, mesmerizing movie a few cussed Danish priest who travels to Iceland however is overwhelmed by the harshness of the land. It is certainly one of these movies that merely should be seen on the massive display screen to correctly soak up and be immersed by the gorgeous cinematography. I cherished it much more a second time round. Greatest canine efficiency in any movie this yr? I believe so. The opposite one which left me in tears is The Eight Mountains (Le Otto Montagne), an Italian drama made by Belgian filmmakers about two boys who develop up within the mountains. We observe them over the course of 30 years of their lives, every taking a special path in life, however reconnecting later of their 30s. It was my second time watching this and I used to be so affected by the tip, I stayed up method too late listening to the music within the movie and studying about mountains.
I am fortunate I had the chance to catch these two favorites once more on the massive display screen in a cinema not removed from the place I reside in Berlin. I am additionally fortunate that this pageant takes place yearly and continues to program among the finest movie from world wide. Across the World in 14 Movies was celebrating their seventeenth yr in 2022, however it appears they’re gaining prominence yr after yr. It is not straightforward to get all these movies confirmed on your pageant. I additionally took my accomplice to see Koreeda’s Dealer, which she hadn’t seen but. Each of us favored it however did not adore it; it isn’t as highly effective or as endearing as Koreeda’s different beloved movies earlier than this. If solely I had extra time, I in all probability would’ve ended up going out to look at extra. It does not matter if I’ve seen them at different fests earlier than, a few of these movies are so good the second viewing could be much more stirring. Watching these movies greater than as soon as permits me to float even deeper right into a cinema trance, getting misplaced within the tales, pulled into the display screen, forgetting I am even at a pageant. That is what I reside for, that is why nonetheless I like films.
The 2022 version of Across the World in 14 Movies is already over – it ran from December 1st – tenth this fall. Nevertheless, they will be again once more subsequent yr, with the perfect of 2023’s pageant choices to carry to audiences. If you happen to reside in Berlin, or should you simply so occur to be in/round Berlin in December subsequent yr, ensure you take a look at their line-up and schedule and catch a movie or two or three (or 4 or 5??). You’ll be able to’t go flawed with something from their choice. Berlin is a metropolis identified for its arts and tradition, and there are tons of movie festivals occurring all year long within the metropolis. However that is the prime pageant with the best movies – and I like to recommend it to anybody and everybody that loves to find and experience cinema from world wide. I stay up for discovering their 2023 line-up and revisiting extra favorites, however till then, thanks to all the pageant workforce for placing on a terrific occasion this yr. For more information & pageant particulars, go to 14films.de.
