Films from as far afield as Iran and Japan will compete with strong Oscar contender “There Will Be Blood” for the top prize at this year’s Berlin film festival.
Twenty-one films are competing for the main Golden Bear award at the “Berlinale,” the first of the year’s major European film festivals — which runs from Feb. 7 to 17.
Contenders announced Tuesday by the festival organizers include Spanish director Isabel Coixet’s “Elegy,” based on Philip Roth’s novel “The Dying Animal,” and starring Penelope Cruz and Ben Kingsley; “There Will Be Blood,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s oil-boom epic, starring Daniel Day-Lewis; and Damian Harris’ “Gardens Of The Night,” featuring John Malkovich.
Organizers say they do not expect the Berlin festival to be hit by the Hollywood writers’ strike, which reduced the annual Golden Globes ceremony to a news conference. “We will not have a dead carpet, but a red carpet,” festival director Dieter Kosslick said, adding that Cruz, Kingsley, Malkovich, Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and others are expected in Berlin.
The festival will begin with the premiere of “Shine A Light,” a documentary about the Rolling Stones by Martin Scorsese, last year’s big winner at the Oscars. Organizers expect Scorsese and the band at the presentation of the film, which is based on two 2006 concerts in New York and is showing outside the competition. Singer Madonna’s directorial debut, “Filth and Wisdom” also will screen outside the competition; along with “Dream of Life,” a portrait of Patti Smith directed by Steven Sebring; and “CSNY Deja Vu,” directed by Neil Young under the pseudonym Bernard Shakey.
The festival’s competition traditionally includes films from many countries. This year’s Asian contingent includes Hong Kong director Johnnie To’s “Sparrow” and, from mainland China, Wang Xiaoshuai’s “In Love We Trust.” Japan provides “Kabei — Our Mother,” directed by Yoji Yamada. From Iran comes “The Song of Sparrows,” from director Majid Majidi. European offerings include British director Mike Leigh’s “Happy-Go-Lucky,” along with two French entries: Robert Guediguian’s “Lady Jane” and Philippe Claudel’s “I’ve loved you so long …” The competition features a rare documentary entry — “S.O.P.” (“Standard Operating Procedure”) from Errol Morris. The film looks into the scandal over the abuse of detainees by US personnel at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison.
Source: Berlinale
