The Berlin Film Festival has unveiled the first 11 films that will run in its Panorama section. The fest says two prominent themes have already emerged among the films selected to date: “a fresh historically reflective approach to the history of black people in North America, South America and Africa” and “Europa Europa,” which explores “how progressive forces might best defend themselves in light of a zeitgeist that makes it seem as if yesterday never went away.”
Among the titles selected are Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro; Vazante, the solo directing debut of Walter Salles collaborator Daniela Thomas; and the James Schamus-produced, Casting JonBenet. South Africa’s The Wound, by John Trengrove, will open the section.
The fest typically takes plenty of security precautions and is expected to adapt those accordingly following yesterday’s apparent terrorist attack in which a truck crashed into a crowded Berlin Christmas market and killed 12 people. It runs February 9-17. The full list of titles so far selected is below:
PANORAMA
Vazante
Brazil/Portugal
By Daniela Thomas
World premiere
I Am Not Your Negro
France / USA / Belgium / Switzerland
By Raoul Peck
European premiere
The Wound
South Africa / Germany / Netherlands / France
By John Trengove
European premiere
Política, manual de instrucciones (Politics, Instructions Manual)
Spain
By Fernando León de Aranoa
European premiere
Combat au bout de la nuit (Fighting Through the Night)
Canada
By Sylvain L’Espérance
International premiere
Casting JonBenet
USA
By Kitty Green
International premiere
Honeygiver Among the Dogs
Bhutan
By Dechen Roder
Centaur
Kyrgyzstan / France / Germany / Netherlands
By Aktan Arym Kubat
World premiere
Pendular
Brazil / Argentina / France
By Julia Murat
Ri Chang Dui Hua (Small Talk)
Taiwan
By Hui-chen Huang
International premiere
Untitled
Austria / Germany
By Michael Glawogger, Monika Willi
World premiere