While no Ukrainian films qualified for the competition program of the 66th Berlin International Film Festival, six Ukrainian movies are being presented in various sections of the Berlinale 2016. And one of them, Tank, has already won a 10,000-euro prize.
“Tank”
On Feb. 16, this dramatic thriller directed by Max Ksondja won the 10,000-euro VFF Talent Highlight Pitch Award. Since 2004, this prize has been awarded to promising works from the Talent Project Market section, which is organized by the Co-Production Market in cooperation with Berlinale Talents.
Tank tells the story of a 12-year-old boy from an underprivileged family, who finds a German World War II tank in the forest. He decides to sell it in order to escape from his godforsaken village.
This movie has already won a Best Pitch Award at the Cottbus Film Festival and a prize for best Ukrainian film project presented at the Pitching at Odesa International Film Festival.
The film is to be presented at the 13th Berlinale Co-Production Market, which will take place on Feb. 14-16.
“Without You” (Sensiz)
This short film by young Crimean Tatar film director Nariman Aliyev was chosen for the Generation 14 plus section, which is devoted to children and young people. “Without You”, filmed in Crimea in 2015, is the story of two brothers, whose roles were played not by professional actors, but by two Aliyev’s cousins.
Feb. 15, 5 p.m., Feb. 17, 5:30 p.m., Feb. 20, 2.30 p.m. at CinemaxX 1 (E)
Feb. 18, 1 p.m. at HKW (E)
“Mariupolis”
This film is a part of the Panorama Documents program, which presents independent and art house films. Mariupolis describes the life in Mariupol, a city next to the war zone in the east of Ukraine. The film was shot by Lithuanian film director Mantas Kvedaravicius. He is already known for a film depicting life in wartime – his previous work Barzakh shows the search for a man missing in Chechnya. Mariupolis was produced jointly by Ukraine, Lithuania, Germany and France.
Feb. 14, 5 p.m., Feb. 15, 10:30 p.m., Feb. 20, 5 p.m. at CineStar 7 (E)
Feb. 16, 6 p.m. at Cubix 8 (E)
A screenshot from “Mariupolis” film.
“The Eleventh Year”
This film from 1928 was directed by Dziga Vertov, a famous Soviet pioneer documentary film and newsreel director. The silent film, which tells of the eleventh year of Soviet government in Ukraine, and the industrialization of the Donbas, will be presented with a live soundtrack by Ukrainian composer and performer Anton Baybakov.
Feb. 20, 8 p.m. Babylon Mitte Cinema House
A screenshot from “The Eleventh Year” film.
“Blue Dress”
The film “Blue Dress” will have its world premiere at the Berlin Critics’Week, which is held in parallel with Berlinale 2016. In this film, Igor Minaev,Ukrainian film director who now lives in France, looks back on his own creative work in the times of Soviet censorship. “Blue Dress,” which includes three of Minaev’s short films from the ‘70s and ‘80s, depicts the fictitious journey of a son searching for his mother, a former film actress. The film is coproduced by Ukraine and France.
Feb. 16, 8 p.m., Feb. 21, 10 a.m. at Hackesche Höfe Kino
A screenshot from “Blue Dress” film.
“Hetman”
This historical film, directed by Valery Yambursky, depicts the life of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, the Hetman of the Zaporozhian Host who led an uprising against the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and its magnates in 1648–1654. However, the story concentrates more on the tragic Hetman’s love fora Polish noblewoman Helena, than on historical events.
Feb. 12, 5:50 p.m. at CinemaxX Studio 15
A screenshot from “Hetman” film.
66th Berlin International Film Festival started on Feb. 11 and will run until Feb. 21. The jury of the festival is headed by three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep. This year, the main program of Berlinale includes 23 films, 18 of which will vie for the top prize – the Golden Bear. In total more than 400 movies will be presented in all of the programs of Berlinale 2016.
The Ukrainian Film Corner stand can be found at the European Film Market in the Marriott Hotel in Berlin. The stand (No. 116) was organized by the Ukrainian State Film Agency and the Molodist International Film Festival.
