Weird & Wonderful Movies Coming to Berlin’s 75th Film Festival

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The 75th Berlin International Film Festival is set to offer an exciting blend of established stars’ films and innovative international independent productions, both within its competition segment and beyond.

Scattered across the different sections of the Berlinale, movie enthusiasts can discover some unique, unconventional films as well.

This list showcases some unique films playing at the Berlin Festival, categorized by their respective sections. The movies cover diverse themes such as roller-skating dictators, merfolk lore, a cleaner who is submissive by nature, and open displays of sexuality.

In this rephrased version, I’ve aimed to maintain the original meaning while using more natural, easy-to-read language to make it more engaging for readers.

Sirens Call, Miri Ian Gossing and Lina SieckmannForum

Dive into the merfolk culture via this mix of documentary and sci-fi road movie!

In a groundbreaking first full-length production, the German duo of screenwriters and directors focuses on the character of “Una,” a performance artist who embodies a siren, as she challenges societal norms. “I’m partly human, I acknowledge that, but I’m not completely so,” she explains about herself.

In a world where the planet is becoming increasingly arid, Una roams freely. The film follows this journey, blending performance and genre, fact and fiction. Una seeks self-discovery and companionship, taking her to vintage American diners, glistening hotel rooms, and embarking on a road trip with Moth. As they travel, snippets of Trump’s America filter through the car radio.

Paul, Denis Côté
Panorama Dokumente

In the Canadian master’s experimental documentary, it is revealed that Paul grapples with depression and social anxiety. The synopsis describes him as living a solitary life, mostly confined at home by routine. However, being an avid fan of Alice in Wonderland, he is constantly brainstorming ways to add color and intricacy to his world. In search of comfort and stability, Paul decides on an unconventional career path: providing housekeeping services for dominant women. As the submissive Cleaning Simp Paul, he manages to break free from his monotonous, anxious lifestyle.

He becomes deeply engrossed in managing his Instagram account, often finding solace in what he terms as “Rejuvenating through Organization,” which is essentially his way of saying “Cleaning to Save My Life.

Without resorting to suggestive wordplay, Cote’s documentary presents a portrait of a man seeking inner tranquility, one Instagram reel after another, as he caters to dominatrixes.

The Trio Hall, Su Hui-Yu
Forum

Get ready to laugh out loud at a satirical production, reminiscent of 1970s Taiwanese television! The synopsis on the Berlin festival website teases viewers with an unconventional performance titled “A Revue of Dictators Colluding with the Entertainment Industry.” This delightful show promises to surprise and entertain you!

In this imaginative scenario, “Stalin and Chiang Kai-shek are dancing together, while Mao is depicted as roller skating alongside a 1980’s styled Hitler. To add to the tableau, Winston Churchill is pictured wearing a swimming suit.

The filmmakers assure us this competition among dictators is extravagant, dramatic, and reminiscent of Hegelian dialectics, with global implications – an audacious modern take on Cold War conflicts. It’s a satire that strongly condemns arrogance and imperialism.” What more can we say!?

Ancestral Visions of the Future, Lemohang Mosese
Berlinale Special

Let’s switch things up a bit. The Berlin-based artist and filmmaker Mosese hails from Lesotho. His 2019 movie, titled “This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection“, received the Visionary Filmmaking Jury Award at Sundance and marked a significant milestone as it became Lesotho’s inaugural submission for the Best International Feature Film Oscar.

This deeply personal movie serves as a symbolic representation of its director’s childhood, it pays tribute to the art of cinema, and subtly honors his mother. By blending fragmented stories and mystical visuals, it creates an unanticipated piece that is classified as a documentary.

The Berlin Film Festival describes the movie as a “poignant contemplation on displacement and identity,” also serving as “a mournful ode to a city and its people, struggling with the burden of nostalgia and the certainty of farewell.

Queer as Punk, Yihwen Chen
Forum

Are you open to an unconventional form of demonstration in a punk-inspired manner? In Malaysia, being LGBTQ+ is considered illegal. Despite this, transgender individual Faris and companions Yon, and Yoyo tour the nation as the punk band Shh…Diam! (translated as “Shut up!” in Malay). They perform concerts and take to the streets to voice their protest.

It’s not a biography focused on a character like a kneecap, more in the Malaysian style. Rather, as described in the synopsis, Yihwen Chen narrates the growth of this unique family, infusing their story with bravery, wit, humor, and an allure that’s hard to resist. Additionally, it features candid discussions amidst Malaysia’s changing political climate.

The movie offers an exciting blend of sounds, friendships, and vibrant energy as it explores themes like self-expression, personal change, parental pressures, and civic engagement. In summary, the storyline reveals a world where democracy is strangled by official dominance over religion, desires, and identities, leading to a suffocating atmosphere. In this struggle against ‘pink migration’, a term for those seeking acceptance, camaraderie, and mutual support become crucial survival tools.

Night Stage, Marcio Reolon and Filipe Matzembacher
Panorama

Indeed, erotic films have made a comeback with productions such as “Babygirl” and “Queer”. However, one might wonder if public displays of sexuality will captivate viewers.

The Brazilian film, titled “Night Stage,” goes beyond mere contemplation of the concept. It revolves around an actor and a politician who embark on a clandestine romance, a relationship that takes an unusual turn as they discover their shared preference for intimate encounters in public settings. However, for Matias and Rafael, this unconventional passion may ultimately prove to be a dangerous obsession.

As they approach their goal of becoming famous, they increasingly find themselves drawn towards potentially hazardous situations, as this analysis cautions about a perilous pursuit that intertwines success, enjoyment, and mortality.

What’s Next?, Cao Yiwen
Forum

Are you into whimsical sceneries featuring groovy vegetable dancers, or perhaps bleak futures teeming with malevolent male spirits appeals more to your taste?

Here’s another way:

Do you enjoy vibrant, playful landscapes populated by dancing vegetables on a psychedelic trip, or do you prefer grim dystopias inhabited by evil male demons?

It seems this film tackles several important topics, including evil, gender matters, the environment, and capitalism. Furthermore, it’s expected to spark discussions about the function and impact of artificial intelligence in our society.

On the Berlinale website, it is mentioned that the film was created by a single woman in collaboration with an AI image generator. This production ‘conjures up a world, both before and after the emergence of malevolence.’ Intriguingly vague, isn’t it? The movie offers no dialogue but features a soothing soundtrack, immersing viewers in the bizarre and whimsical visuals that machines might hallucinate.

Prepare for an exciting premiere presenting a blend of familiar stereotypes, as described by Berlin.

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2025-02-10 12:25