8 Dutch films and 4 minority coproductions in Competition Berlinale
With no less than eight Dutch films and four minority co-productions the Netherlands is prominently represented at the upcoming edition of the Berlin International Film Festival.
Eisenstein in Guanajuato, Peter Greenaway's new film, will have its world premiere in the main Competition. The feature, produced by Submarine + Fu Works together with Mexico-based Paloma Negra Films, explores the mind of a creative genius facing the desires and fears of love, sex and death through ten passionate days in Mexico. An event that helped shape the rest of the career of one of the greatest masters of Cinema. It's the first time in ten years that a Dutch title is vying for the Golden Bear.
As in previous years Dutch youth cinema is strongly represented in the Generation competition. The Generation 14plus section opens with the world premiere of Prince, directed by Sam de Jong and produced by 100% Halal in co-production with VICE media. Last year De Jong's short film Marc Jacobs was screened in the Berlinale Shorts competition. Prince is his first feature film.
Two more Dutch films are selected for Generation 14plus: Nena by director Saskia Diesing and produced by KeyFilm in co-production with Coin Film (Germany), and Mees Peijnenburg's short Un Creux dans mon Coeur (A Hole in My Heart), a 100% Halal-production.
The Generation Kplus-section includes Confetti Harvest by Tallulah Schwab, writer Chris Westendorp and production company Column Film, about young Catherine (12) who grows up in a strict protestant farming family in the south of Holland. Also part of Kplus is Giovanni and the Water Ballet. This short directed by Astrid Bussink and produced by Een van de Jongens, was awarded Best Youth Documentary at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam last December.
The world premiere of Sacha Polak's second feature Zurich, a Viking Film production, takes place in Forum. Zurich, by writer Helena van der Meulen is the story about Nina who, in a desperate attempt to leave the past behind, is wandering along Europe's motorways. Slowly it becomes clear that Nina's drive to hang around in the truckers' scene is a result of the pain caused by the ultimate betrayal that has befallen her. For her first feature Hemel Polak won the Fipresci Award (International Film Critics Award) at the Berlinale in 2012.
Documentary Sergio Herman, FUCKING PERFECT by Willemiek Kluijfhout and producer Trueworks is presented in the Culinary Cinema-programme. After the screening a special event and dinner are organized with chef Tohru Nakamura, who learned his trade in the kitchen of Sergio Herman.
Dutch production company Volya Films is minority co-producer of the Competition title Cha Va Con (Big Father, Small Father and Other Stories) by the Vietnamese filmmaker Di Phan Dong.
The minority co-productions Necktie Youth by Sibs Shongwe-La Mer (South-Africa) and Dutch co-producer 100% Halal, and The Summer of Sangaile by Alante Kavaite (Lithuania) and co-produced by Viking Film are selected for Panorama. And The yes Men Are Revolting co-produced by Pieter van Huystee Film is part of Panorama Dokumente.
And lastly, the Berlinale Co-Production Market presents one project from the Netherlands: The Hero from director Antoinette Beumer, production company Millstreet Films and written by Marjolein Beumer.
For more information:
Berlin International film Festival: www.berlinale.de