The festival has begun. In grey February and sleet, the cinemas opened their doors and invited us on new adventures. And everywhere, people queued up to be whisked away to desert islands or summer camps in the Scottish Highlands, into the minds of a writer or a jazz pianist, or straight into the future.
In addition to the films, the ticket system is of course a constant topic of conversation: who got tickets for what, who was kicked out of the booking (me), who got their dream film and which screening to meet up at.
Sunny Dancer
Just don't be a Make-A-Wish kid: Ivy (Bella Ramsay from The Last of Us and Game of Thrones) has survived cancer treatment, but she doesn't want to be seen as a pitiful cancer kid.
When her parents send her to a summer camp for children with cancer, Ivy is initially very resistant. She doesn't want to listen to inspirational influencers or have camp director Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris) dictate the rules to her. Slowly, she befriends her roommate and the other young people and falls in love. Despite the ever-present themes of illness and death, the film is a light-hearted summer romance in which the camp becomes an adventure playground. The young people defy cancer, celebrate and lose their hearts – and their virginity. The film takes young people and youth seriously and strikes the right balance between warmth, comedy and tragedy, relying on its young actors, especially Bella Ramsay. What a great start to the Generation 14plus section, which never fails to bring us great discoveries.
Lord of the Flies
For several years now, the Berlinale has also been showing series, including true gems such as The Night Manager, which need not shy away from comparison with the films at the festival. With the four-part Lord of Flies, the first two episodes of which were shown, the series section presents another highlight. With cinematic images and dense staging, the film adaptation of William Golding's dystopian classic tells the story of a group of boys who land on a desert island after a plane crash during a nuclear war. At first, they try to form a community with a set of rules, but it breaks down and ends in violence and chaos.
It is not only the fascinating images and haunting music that set this series apart from the monotony of other series, but also the great young actors.
Each episode focuses on one of the boys. In the first part, Piggy takes centre stage as he attempts to create a civilised society with a set of rules. The second episode is then devoted to the arrogant Jack, who wants to be the leader and hunter. Here, he is not only the villain, but also a traumatised boy. Lox Pratt shines as Jack and already shows future star qualities. This makes us all the more excited to see what he will do with the role of Draco Malfoy in the new Harry Potter series.
My first highlight at the Berlinale!
Outlook for Saturday
Saturday is not Valentine's Day, but there will be plenty of star power at the Zoo Palast, where The Moment, a mockumentary about the singer charli xcx, will be screened . And Rosebrush Pruning , starring Callum Turner, Riley Keough and Jamie Bell, will celebrate its premiere at the Berlinale Palast. So we can expect a lot of hustle and bustle at both Potsdamer Platz and the Zoo Palast.
