Berlinale Special 2009

The Berlinale Special is a part of the Festival’s official programme, and presents extraordinary new productions and topical works by contemporary filmmakers whose films the Berlinale wants to honour. The filmmakers of all the works in the Berlinale Special will attend the premieres and present their films.

This year’s main venues are the Cinema Paris on the Kurfürstendamm, and the Friedrichstadtpalast where the Berlinale Special Gala Screenings will be held. In addition, a long-time documentation will be shown at the Cosima, a local arthouse cinema.

“I’m looking forward to greeting our guests and audiences on the red carpet at our beautiful new locations for Berlinale Special premieres”, says Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick. “Now we hope more Berlinale fans will have a chance to get tickets!”

So far 13 films have been invited to this year’s Berlinale Special; nine of them are world premieres.

Berlinale Special – Gala Screenings at the Friedrichstadtpalast

Effi Briest Germany

By Hermine Huntgeburth (The White Massai, The Trio)

With Julia Jentsch, Sebastian Koch, Juliane Köhler, Mišel Matičević

World premiere

Food, Inc. USA

Documentary by Robert Kenner

With Eric Schlosser, Michael Pollan

International premiere

(Opening Film of Culinary Cinema, press release of December 10, 08)

Hilde Germany

By Kai Wessel

With Heike Makatsch, Dan Stevens, Monica Bleibtreu, Michael Gwisdek

World premiere

John Rabe Germany/France/People´s Republic of China

By Florian Gallenberger (Quiero ser (I want to be ...))

With Ulrich Tukur, Daniel Brühl, Anne Consigny, Dagmar Manzel

World premiere

Berlinale Special at Cinema Paris

Adam Resurrected USA/Germany/Israel

By Paul Schrader (The Comfort of Strangers, American Gigolo)

With Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, Derek Jacobi, Ayelet Zurer

European premiere

Baiyin Diguo (Empire Of Silver) People’s Republic of China/ Hong Kong

By Christina Yao

With Aaron Kwok, Tie Lin Zhang, Hao Lei, Ding Zhi Cheng, Lei Zhen Yu

World premiere

Bellamy France

By Claude Chabrol (Les Cousins, La Fleur du Mal)

With Gérard Depardieu, Clovis Cornillac, Jacques Gamblin

World premiere

In Berlin Germany

Documentary by Michael Ballhaus and Ciro Cappellari

With Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Alexander Hacke, Danielle De Picciotto

World premiere

Every Little Step USA

Documentary by James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo

European premiere

Pink Germany

By Rudolph Thome (Paradiso: Seven Days with Seven Women, Red Sun)

With Hannah Herzsprung, Florian Panzner, Guntram Brattia, Cornelius Schwalm

World premiere

Singularidades de uma rapariga loura Portugal/Frankreich

By Manoel De Oliveira (Past and Present, O Convento)

With Ricardo Trêpa, Catarina Wallenstein, Carlos Santos

World premiere

Terra Madre Italy

Documentary by Ermanno Olmi (The Tree with the Wooden Clogs)

World premiere

(also showing in Culinary Cinema)

Berlinale Special at Cinema Cosima at Bundesplatz

Berlin - Ecke Bundesplatz Germany

Five-part long-time documentation by Hans-Georg Ullrich and Detlef Gumm

The complete programme of Berlinale Special will be published on January 27, 2009.

P.D. Ciro Cappellari es un realizador y director de fotografía argentino que está, creo, radicado en Alemania y al que algunos recordarán por una bastante digna película de 1995, dirigida por él, llamada "Hijo del río".