words by VERONICA TLAPANCO SZABÓ

For generations, Berlin has had a way of pulling people in through its music, its nightlife and its promise of reinvention. As the media frenzy surrounding the city’s clubbing culture slowly begins to lose steam, what remains are those who see Berlin for what it truly is: a cultural magnet and one people often find themselves returning to. If you’re one of them, wandering the city this February, how excited would you be to hear that a vampire mystery film starring Isabelle Huppert as a 16th-century serial killer is premiering? Or that you could witness the genesis of the Brat tour through Charli XCX’s own eyes? These are just a few of this year’s Berlinale highlights and there’s plenty more where that came from.

The Blood Countess © Amour Fou Vienna, Amour Fou Luxembourg, Heimatfilm / P. Domenigg

The Berlinale Specials programme sets the tone right with the world premiere of The Blood Countess, the much-anticipated horror mystery thriller starring Isabelle Huppert we were telling you about earlier! Still running through the international premieres this edition we’ve got Noah Segan’s The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, alongside European premieres like Padraic McKinley’s The Weight, starring Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe, and Gore Verbinski’s Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. Music lovers can look forward to The Ballad of Judas Priest, while literature fans will recognise La casa de los espíritus (The House of the Spirits), a Chilean series adapted from Isabel Allende’s iconic novel. Rounding out the section is House of Yang, a bold new German six-part horror mystery series.

The Moment © A24

If that hasn’t already caught your attention, Panorama (the festival’s main sidebar) certainly will. Opening with Only Rebels Win by French-Lebanese filmmaker Danielle Arbid, Panorama once again proves itself a vital platform for formally ambitious, socially engaged cinema. This year’s programme leans heavily into documentaries, queer histories, feminist perspectives and stories of displacement, survival and resistance. Among the standout titles are Árru, the directorial debut of Sámi choreographer Elle Sofe Sara; Roya, a new drama from Iranian activist and filmmaker Mahnaz Mohammadi; and Lady, Olive Nwosu’s feature debut. One of the most anticipated titles online is undoubtedly Aidan Zamiri’s The Moment, starring Charli XCX in a mockumentary-style, meta-ironic commentary on the music industry. And, of course, it wouldn’t be Berlin without Hong Sangsoo, who returns to Potsdamer Platz with Geunyeoga doraon nal, described as “a subtle reflection on the acting profession itself” looking forward to what that means!

Berlinale Generation’s Against the Times section opens with George Jaques’ vibrant comedy Sunny Dancer, starring Bella Ramsey alongside Neil Patrick Harris. Meanwhile, the Kplus competition kicks off with the Brazilian documentary A Fabulosa Máquina do Tempo by Eliza Capai. With a total of 18 feature films and 23 short films, this year’s Generation programme has range indeed. Last but not least, Berlinale Classics returns with its most extensive programme to date, showcasing films from nine countries. The section opens with Assarab from Morocco, while Ukraine is represented for the first time with the early sound film Kryshtalevyi Palats. And in a first for Berlinale Classics, the anime genre makes its debut with a true masterpiece Jubei Ninpucho.

Whether you’re meticulously planning every screening or letting the city pull you from one cinema to the next, this year’s Berlinale offers more than enough to get lost in. And if you’re the type who needs every title and time slot in advance, you know where to go…head over to the Berlinale website for the full programme.

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