The balance sheet of the 69. Berlinale : The Berlinale was missing a discovery

minutes long rolls of Jewish names on the canvas, there are hundreds. The time in the cinema will freeze. The images of the written documents in a second font layer, read out from the film-maker Thomas Heise. There are letters to the in-laws family are on the paternal side, in which the deer horn, inform your son-in-law Wilhelm Heise and daughter, Edith, in distant Berlin, about the latest developments in Vienna.

their uncertainty tilts soon, in desperation, finally, an irrational hope arises ("my father's in the old people's home") – while the list of deportees is approaching, inevitably the names beginning with the letters "Hi". It is a harrowing dramaturgy without Suspense, because the mere existence of the list takes the fate of the people anticipate that don't want to have come true. The distances between the letters are becoming shorter and shorter, until it ends after 24 minutes of the movie abruptly. "I am stone", is one of the last sentences of the sister-in-law.

This sequence is from Thomas's Essay was three and a half hour documentary "home is a space of time," 69. Berlinale survive if the memory of the last Festival Dieter kosslick's is let long. The title is bear-worthy, unfortunately, the Berlinale awards no prizes for the best film title, and not even for the most memorable cinema moment. This privilege is reserved for critics in their balance sheets.

But also Essay family chronicle will not be honored on Saturday with the Golden bear, the Film was in the Forum – out of competition to a certain extent. Wherein a filmmakers such as Thomas Heise was already in a League of his own. In the past few days, heard more often, "home is a space of time," the competition has been good. The namely a lack of it this year in big moments.

New Economy of vision

Around images such as this: A woman moves absent through the city, she searches for the loss of her husband, once again following the reality. To your 13-year-old son they lost contact. It converts so hurt and argumentative, around, your path eventually leads them to the cemetery, where she rolls on the grave of her husband. Suddenly, a quail appears out of the woodwork and just to her as the bird of sorrow wool donations can nd consolation. Or you in back to reality.

The scene is from Angela Schanelecs puzzling-anrührendem, in all directions open "I was home, but ...". And in contrast to Heise, the Berlin filmmaker, or your lead actress Maren Eggert has even a realistic Chance of a bear: her Film was in competition. Also Schanelecs cinema exists since 25 years in a kind of cinematic parallel universe, but this is not so hermetic, like the German critics tried to get the audience with the slightly disreputable Label "Berlin school" for a long time to convince.

In France or Switzerland, where Schanelecs "The beautiful way" was recorded at the Festival in Locarno in 2016, excited to see the nature differently. Schanelec says in the Interview, they just wanted to film animals. And that you always search for images that you want to see in their somnambulistic poetry. Preferably, without immediately about the importance of thinking. Both Heise and Schanelec, created from the in the cinema is often the critical Resource of time a movie theater a reality – and a new Economy of seeing. Patience require both approaches, as contrary as they may be.

Only once the freedom of the will in the competition

"I was at home, but ..." the variety theater is considered by a Jury under the chairmanship of Juliette Binoche for price-worthy, it remains speculation. It would be imaginable. A serious evaluation is so difficult because of the competition, with few exceptions, had an idea of cinema miss. Approaches, such as in Nora began scheidts "systems busters" or "God Exists. Her Name is Petrunya“ of the Macedonian Director Teona Strugar Mitevska.

The films, like Isabel coixet's Netflix production "Elisa y Marcela but" (if the answer to the crisis of the cinema is supposed to be this tasteful black-and-white art-house Aesthetics á la "Roma", then good night), Agnieszka Holland's braves Post-Truth-Biopic "Mr. Jones" and the bland realism of Claudio Giovannesis Mafia-youth drama "La paranza dei bambini".

Berlinale 2019 - competitive film view more images of 1 of 25Foto: By Amesen / Berlinale29.01.2019 09:18The Chinese Director Wang Quan'an returns with "Öndög" in the Mongolian Steppe, where his bear-winner...Back More

All of these films are taken from their facts-based stories in such a way in custody that you forget about the Telling with images. The more surprised you will see Adam McKay's Biopic "Vice" about the former US Vice-President Dick Cheney – the only Hollywood production in the competition (out of competition) – tearing open with his unbridled joy of playing the whole visual and narrative breadth of the cinema.

In the competition is a of this freedom is met will only once, in Nadav Lapids French-Israeli contribution to the "Synonymes", expected towards the end of the festival – as a still – blew up the conventions of narrative cinema with an explosive physicality, literally. A young Jewish man flees from its origin to Paris, but the longing for a new life is shattered by the indifference, with the Macrons France met.

Why it was released "So Long, My Son" by the censorship?

In Lapids Film, the call for a political cinema that has both attitude as well as an original visual language, which is not yet of good intentions leveled was fulfilled. The could like Juliette Binoche, not only because of the rousing energy of "Synonymes" to their entropic Paris-tribute to "The lovers of Pont-Neuf".

If the cinema is dangerous these days, it has to do rarely with the explosive power of the images, but rather with the underlying ideologies. You will probably never know why the Chinese authorities, Zhang Yimous "One Second" withdrew, and thus an uninspired Year for a sad end (or a gaping space).

Berlinale 2019 - The red carpet for more pictures of view 1 of 57Foto: REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke07.02.2019 21:18First Lady of French cinema. Catherine Deneuve in a fur for the Premiere of "L'adieu à la nuit", which would be out of competition...previous Next

is Much more revealing anyway, the question is, why instead of that, Lou, Yes Thriller "The Shadow Play" in the Panorama (on corruption in China and present), and Wang Xiaoshuais three-hour family drama "So Long, My Son" in the competition, a highly emotional criticism of China's One-child policy by 2015, of the censorship, were approved. But, probably, totalitarian regimes, the System just has this unpredictability. No one should feel ever safe, not even a formerly loyal party-goers, such as Zhang Yimou.

Only Lapid had to explain to his strongest Film

With such a precaution, it is also the folksy tone of the Turkish contribution "A Tale of Three Sisters". Director Emin Alper told the emancipation story of three sisters in the mountains of Anatolia, but his biting is fatalism, unlike in the previous "Abluka" – a cushion of fairy tale motifs and classical are liable artistically illuminated images.

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Berlinale-column is The most Beautiful at the end, always the kiss

Robert Ide

This Problem dragged on through the entire competition: the Nominal competition with Wang Quan was’, Fatih Akin, François Ozon, Angela Schanelec, Wang Xiaoshuai, Emin Alper and Nadav Lapid not bad at all occupied, unfortunately, Lapid had his strongest Film. And regulars like Agnieszka Holland, Isabel Coixet or Lone Scherfig belong not to the cream of European cinema. What 2019 was missing, mainly, was a discovery, as in the previous years, Sebastián Lelio, Laura Bispuri, or Ildikó Enyedi. Whether it is a Dieter Kosslick Problem or a deepening of the crisis of world cinema with less A-Festival-ready productions, will find out in the coming year, Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek. The beginning of February, the early Oscars will not make this task easier for sure.