A controversy-hit festival shook off its troubles to showcase Italian family drama, life in America’s old west, a gruelling view of life in Soviet
Russia – and fun on the farm
This year could have been simply wunderbar for the
Berlin film festival, but it didn’t quite work that way. The festival organisers, including new artistic director Carlo Chatrian, found themselves with more on their plate than expected, including controversy over jury president Jeremy Irons, because of his previous comments on gender politics; the dropping of the prize commemorating the Berlinale’s founding director, Alfred Bauer, following revelations about his Nazi involvement; and the closure of a key venue, the multiscreen CineStar. Worse still, most of the eateries in the mall on Postdamer Platz were closed for renovation, leaving this soulless architectural complex more desolate than ever.
It wasn’t the ideal mood for the festival’s 70th edition, so perhaps we’ll have to wait for 2021 to provide the fireworks that this year needed. Things weren’t entirely sparkle-free, though: the Berlinale can still attract big names, including
Hillary Clinton, here to launch a four-part TV documentary about herself. And the competition was as mixed as ever, but had its joys.