All posts by Sebastian

So it is written

Fassbinder_og Hannah SchygullaWhen I think about Fassbinder, I don’t think about Germany but about Kraut Rock because Rainer Werner began for me with Tocotronic. Despair heißt auch eine Reise ins Licht*, sang Dirk Lowtzow once. Despair is also a journey into the light. Does despair thus finally lead to the light, to enlightenment? Or is the way to enlightenment, which lets us realize and in makes us desperate? All in all Lowtzow gave no answer.

Continue reading So it is written

Siesta for a start

The Teddy found himself between the years after all the family dinners with a serious case of siesta urgency. Only to start the first day of the new year with a hangover, oh, what do I say, Hangover III.

Cameron Diaz GIF

But now he is on the jump and ready to start into the film festival with refilled energy reserves! And energy it will need, also in this year. Because once again more than 40 movies with queer content will be screened at the Berlinale while several cultural events take place – and for sure the best parties of the festival cannot be left out! All information about the movies, the parties and the fiestas will be found on the Teddy homepage, while on this blog recent news and the TEDDY-Today pages will be published.

We wish all of you a lot of fun on our webpages and hope that siesta and hangover will be overcome until the start of the festival!

11. Day: After the TEDDY is before the TEDDY

And now the end is near and we face the final curtain. My friends, I say it clear, we had a great time together, we went to every cinema. But more than this we did it our way. Non, nous ne regrettons rien. And we hope, you see it the same way. Also now, that the lights in the cinemas are turned off, the stars left the city and the summer with its white nights isn’t far anymore, we hope, that you will not forget the TEDDY.

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You should check out now and then this webpage because there will be updates and interesting news until the next Berlinale.
The TEDDY will now return to its state of hibernation after all the party and the glamorous events, and will dream about all those things it experiences in the last 10 days – and is already looking forward to seeing you again next year!

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Your TEDDY-Team


PRAIA DO FUTURO
(Praia Do Futuro)

Water is lifeguard Donato’s element and Praia_do_futuro_1the sea is his home. When two men are caught by a dangerous current, Donato manages to save Konrad, a German tourist, but his best friend’s life is claimed by the sea. Konrad and his rescuer get to know each other and their initial physical attraction turns into an emotional bond. Praia_do_futuro_7Donato follows Konrad to Berlin, a city that may not be by the sea but which is nonetheless a place where he can reinvent himself. Years later, Donato is confronted with his past when his younger brother Ayrton appears at his door.
Berlin-based Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz follows those in search of love and identity who are prepared to risk everything to discover themselves.

 Berlinale Palast, 12.30 am


FERIADO
(Holiday)

Feriado_4

A001_C018_08132UIn 1999, Ecuador’s banking system collapsed in the wake of a corruption scandal. These events provide the historical context for sixteen-year-old Juan Pablo’s enforced sojourn with his rich uncle and his family. One night he observes his uncle’s cronies brutally mishandling a man A001_C018_08132Uthey discover tampering with their cars. After Juan Pablo helps one of the victim’s companions to escape, the pair soon discovers they have more in common than this incident. Juan Pablo finds the courage to pursue his hitherto unknown feelings for this attractive boy, even though he has no A001_C018_08132Uidea if his feelings are reciprocated. These are turbulent times – and not just for the country, for Juan Pablo himself things are beginning to falter.

Cubix 8, 3.30 pm


TITS
(Tits)

Tits_1

Sam, 13, hopes to conceal his breasts with a tightly worn leather belt. This slender teenager is going through a particularly tough time at his authoritarian boys’ school on account of a hormonal disorder. Desperate, he tries everything he can to avoid swimming lessons, but his worst fears are confirmed when he discovers a pink bra hanging from his peg. Nonetheless, Sam manages to find the courage to face up to one of the ringleaders and refuses to be blackmailed. The film displays a great deal of empathy for its protagonist’s fears and anxieties but also exudes charm and subtle humour.

Tits_7

Kino International, 5.00 pm


MARIO WIRZ
(Mario Wirz)

Mario_Wirz_1

Six weeks before his death from cancer, poet Mario Wirz takes a walk with his friend Rosa von Praunheim during which he candidly shares his final thoughts on, among other things, the power of love and positive thinking: ‘Let’s live!’

Kino International, 5.00 pm


MONDIAL 2010
(Mondial 2010)

A Lebanese gay couple decides to take a road trip to Ramallah. The film is recorded with their camera as they chronicle their journey. The protagonists and the viewers are invited through the couple’s conversations into the universe of a fading city.Mondial_2010

Kino International, 5.00 pm


AS ROSAS BRANCAS
(The White Roses)

A group of people dance at a sports ground to the music of Supertramp. The siblings take flowers to a grave in the deep snow, wearing floral wreaths in their hair. The father directs them. They embrace one another. Memories are invoked by pictures enclosed inside Gabriel’s, the brother’s, amulet. The mother is dead – how will they fill the void she left behind? Each individual family member tries to find their way, is obliged to redefine their course. Calm are the images and gestures that lead us through this film. Of the utmost importance however, is the question of how to proceed with the mother inside one’s heart.

as_rosas_brancas_1 as_rosas_brancas_7

Kino International, 5.00 pm


TEDDY Winner 2013

DER KREIS
(The Circle)

Founded in the early 1940s, the networkDer_Kreis_2 around the magazine DER KREIS (’The Circle’) was the only gay organisation to survive the Nazi regime. Legendary masked balls in Zurich provided 800 visitors from all over Europe. It is there that timid teacher Ernst Ostertag falls in love with drag star Röbi Rapp. Ernst searches for a way to fight for his gayness to be accepted as normal outside the boundaries of ‘The Circle’ network without losing his employment as a teacher.
Stefan Haupt’s new film uncovers the fascinating universe of one of the first gay liberation communities. Enriched by impressive conversational records with Ernst Ostertag and Röbi Rapp, the film depicts a decades-long love story.

Der_Kreis_1

Cubix 7, 5.30 pm


LOVE IS STRANGE
(Love is Strange)

When same-sex marriage is legalised in New York in 2011, Ben and George decide to marry after 39 years together. Shortly after this, George, who works as a music teacher at a Catholic school, is dismissed without notice and they lose their apartment in Chelsea. George finds a place to stay with a gay couple and Ben is taken in by his nephew’s family in Brooklyn.
Impressively director Ira Sachs and his ensemble turn a story about loss of livelihood in the wake of homophobia into a sensitive study of partnerships. Alfred Molina and John Lithgow embody the deep bond between George and Ben with a touchingly tender light-heartedness, giving us a couple which enchants each other and us with their love.

love_is_strange_1

Zoo Palast, 7.00 pm


PAPILIO BUDDHA
(Papilio Buddha)

Shankaran discovers a rare butterfly, the Papilio_Buddha_1Papilio Buddha, which is only found in the Western Ghats in India. It is a near perfect moment for him and his gay friend, Jack. The American accompanies Shankaran home where he witnesses an argument between Shankaran and his father which he fails to understand. His father is the Papilio_Buddha_2leader of a group of Dalits, or low caste ‘untouchables’ who are engaged in a brutal struggle for land rights in many places in India. Although their rights have been enshrined in the constitution since independence, the police regard Dalits as terrorists. Shankaran is put behind bars and Jack is soon expelled from the country on account of his association with him.

Cubix 7, 8.15 pm
Cubix 8, 8.15 pm


YVES SAINT LAURENT
(Yves Saint Laurent)

At the age of 21 talented young designer Yves Saint Laurent takes up a position as assistant to couturier Christian Dior. After Dior’s death Saint Laurent is made artistic director of one of the world’s most renowned fashion houses. His first collection is a triumphant success and this shy fashion genius becomes famous overnight. In Pierre Bergé he finds the love of his life and together they found their own label: ‘Yves Saint Laurent’.
Jalil Lespert creates a monument to one of the most creative proponents the world of fashion has ever known. Saint Laurent’s innovative creations revolutionised haute couture and are still regarded as the epitome of French lifestyle.

Yves_Saint_Laurent_1 Yves_Saint_Laurent_3

Zoo Palast, 9.30 pm


TEDDY Winner 2014

Yesterday night this year’s TEDDY AWARDS were given away in the Komische Oper Berlin. Here you will find all the winners, trailers and jury statements!


Best Feature_Preistraeger Teddy_2014The TEDDY AWARD for the best feature film goes to:

HOJE EU QUERO VOLTAR SOZINHO, (The Way He Looks)
by Daniel Ribeiro, Brazil

A046_C002_0101D2Giovana is Leo’s best friend. They spend their afternoons at the pool, awarding points for the level of their boredom and just hanging out. Leo is rather self-contained; even his schoolmates’ barbs can’t dent his sense of his own independence. This blind fifteen-year old hoje_eu_quero_voltar_sozinho_2wants to take control of his own life. The arrival of a new pupil, Leo, at school prompts Leo to reassess his daily routine. As naturally as Leo becomes aware of his feelings for Gabriel, the more he allows himself to feel unsettled by his friend’s tentative advances. The winner of the hoje_eu_quero_voltar_sozinho_32008 Crystal Bear has the protagonists of his first feature-length drama orbit each other in an emotional universe of fierce attractions.

Jury Statement: A joyous debut feature from a director who combines great writing, characterization, performance, camera, and music to deliver a film that soars above the well-explored coming of age genre, giving new meaning to the old adage ‘love is blind’.


Best_Doc_Preisträger 2014
The TEDDY AWARD for the best documentary/essay film goes to:

DER KREIS (The Circle)
by Stefan Haupt, Switzerland

Founded in the early 1940s, the networkDer_Kreis_2 around the magazine DER KREIS (’The Circle’) was the only gay organisation to survive the Nazi regime. Legendary masked balls in Zurich provided 800 visitors from all over Europe. It is there that timid teacher Ernst Ostertag falls in love with drag star Röbi Rapp. Ernst searchDer_Kreis_1-e1391437968704es for a way to fight for his gayness to be accepted as normal outside the boundaries of ‘The Circle’ network without losing his employment as a teacher.
Stefan Haupt’s new film uncovers the fascinating universe of one of the first gay liberation communities. Enriched by impressive conversational records with Ernst Ostertag and Röbi Rapp, the film depicts a decades-long love story.

Jury Statement: A film that reflects on personal Queer histories in mid-twentieth century Switzerland, brings to light the necessity and urgency to resist and engage with homophobia as it proliferates around the planet.


Shortfilm_Preistraeger Teddy_2014
The TEDDY Award for the best short film goes to:

MONDIAL 2010
by Roy Dib, Lebanon

A Lebanese gay couple decides to take a road trip to Ramallah. The film is recorded with their camera as they chronicle their journey. The protagonists and the viewers are invited through the couple’s conversations into the universe of a fading city.

Jury Statement: A film that takes us on a journey, both literal and personal through a hazardous landscape where invisibility is a necessary aspect of Queer survival.Mondial_2010


The Special Jury Award goes to:

PIERROT LUNAIRE
by Bruce LaBruce, Germany, Canada

A young woman that regularly dresses as Pierrot_Lunaire_2a man falls in love and seduces a young girl that has no clue that her lover is of the same sex. When the girl introduces ‘her boyfriend’ to her father he becomes skeptical and unmasks the fraud.

 

Jury Statement: The Teddy Jury would like to recognize Bruce LaBruce’s important new piece Pierrot Lunaire as a significant addition to his oeuvre, that continues to explore the notion of ‘Queer’ in every sense. Melding theatricality with edgy cinematic language, a remarkable performance by Susanne Sachsse, with sophisticated use of music, Bruce recombines these elements to renew the classic avant-garde.


David Kato_Preistraeger Teddy_2014David Kato Vision and Voice Award for Sou Sotheavy

Cambodian transgender activist Sou Sotheavy has spent the last two decades working to establish a national network of organizations to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people across the country.

 
Special TEDDY AWARD for Elfi Mikesch
Special Teddy_Preistraeger Teddy_2014Elfi Mikesch is an author, photographer and filmmaker and, as one of the first camerawomen of her generation, a role model for a whole series of artists who followed. The oeuvre of this pioneer cannot be surpassed using conventional means. Elfi Mikesch is always looking for a challenge, exploring and transgressing boundaries. Her artistic method involves a dreamlike slowing of the gaze, fusing art and life in a fascinating symbiosis.

Special TEDDY AWARD for Rosa von Praunheim

Rosa Von Praunheim is particularly well known for his pioneering 1970/71 film Nicht der Homosexuelle ist pervers, sondern die Situation, in der er lebt [It is not the homosexual who is perverse, but the society in which he lives] that played a crucial role in launching the gay and lesbian political movement, especially in West Germany. In making this group production, he demonstrated at an early stage of his career film’s considerable potential for bringing about social change. He wins audiences over with the wide range of direct emotions and social commitment portrayed in his films. The realism that characterises his works is radically open, honest and eccentric, provocative in a positive sense and excites and sharpens the senses.

10. Day: The party of the century

The winners of this year’s TEDDY AWARDS were elected yesterday and it was an intoxication of passion. It was a feast. I saw the city in turmoil, the heat in the eyes and the golden buffets. It was as if the carnival was parading through the streets of Hamburg and as if the devil would doubt his own existence. I saw the night in full splendour shining in all colours. – I just wish there was no morning after…

And if you once again should have missed the biggest party in history, you can read all about the winners of yesterday evening, the show and the artists here, get all the clips and background information of the movies.

Also, if you have the chance, you should try to watch some more movies today!

 


UNFRIEND
(Unfriend)

Unfriend_2David lives with his grandmother. She supports her grandchild’s gay life, but he prefers to withdraw into his Facebook world. David would do anything for Jonathan and shares his feelings with online friends. When Jonathan posts images of his new lover, David struggles to overcome his Unfriend_1powerlessness with a feverish obsession to win back his friend. He finds himself in the grip of both real and virtual aspects of his unstable personality.
Altarejos melds real and virtual worlds into a sensual atmospheric arena that confronts us with his protagonist’s deep wounds.

Cinestar 7, 12.00am


EL CARRO AZUL
(The Blue Car)

el_carro_azul_2

After his grandmother’s death Hansel returns to Cuba from San Francisco to look after his brother, Marcos, who has trisomy 21. The brothers have drifted apart. Marcos misses his grandmother and refuses to accept that she has died. She was the only one he trusted, the only one to look after him so patiently, and to teach him so much about the world. At first Marcos sees Hansel as an intruder in his world. He spends most of his time on the balcony looking up and down the street and playing a game he always used to play with his grandmother: waiting for an orange car. Hansel tries to approach his brother, albeit somewhat awkwardly. He begins to play the game with him, in his own way – hoping to regain his brother’s trust.

el_carro_azul_1   el_carro_azul_7

Colosseum 1, 1.00pm


52 TUESDAY
(52 Tuesdays)

Billie can’t believe her mother has decided to undergo gender reassignment surgery. James – as her mother now prefers to be known – has always wanted to be a man. Nonetheless, James tries to observe his motherly responsibilities, while he goes through this change. There’s plenty going on in Billie’s own life, too. Enthralled by a clandestine amorous encounter between two pupils, she joins in. When James tries to protect Billie, their already fragile relationship threatens to collapse.
Sophie Hyde, known for her documentary films, makes use of a documentary style in her first drama. Filming took place chronologically over a period of one year with the story being developed alongside.

52_Tuesdays_2 52_Tuesdays_1

Cubix 8, 3.30pm


FELICE QUI È DIVERSO
(Happy to be Different)

felice_chi_e_diverso

An older gay couple in a city in northern Italy talk about their decades-long relationship. A man describes how he was physically abused by his father because of his sexual identity. Gay men from across the social classes and regions of the country have their say and discuss the different conditions which determined gay life in Italy. There is a discomfiting and controversial discrepancy between the reality of the individual accounts and the media coverage. The latter often portrays gay people with a discriminatory irony or is manipulating, especially where intellectuals are concerned. With FELICE CHI È DIVERSO, Gianni Amelio relates a gay history of Italy since fascist times. His analysis of social conditions is both moving and enraging and refuses to allow the audience to remain indifferent.

International, 5.00pm


TEDDY Winner 2013

HOJE EU QUERO VOLTAR SOZINHO
(The Way He Looks)

A046_C002_0101D2Giovana is Leo’s best friend. They spend their afternoons at the pool, awarding points for the level of their boredom and just hanging out. Leo is rather self-contained; even his schoolmates’ barbs can’t dent his sense of his own independence. This blind fifteen-year old hoje_eu_quero_voltar_sozinho_2wants to take control of his own life. The arrival of a new pupil, Leo, at school prompts Leo to reassess his daily routine. As naturally as Leo becomes aware of his feelings for Gabriel, the more he allows himself to feel unsettled by his friend’s tentative advances. The winner of the hoje_eu_quero_voltar_sozinho_32008 Crystal Bear has the protagonists of his first feature-length drama orbit each other in an emotional universe of fierce attractions.

Cinestar 7, 5.00pm


IBHOKHWE
(The Goat)

Ukwaluka is an ancient circumcision ritual iBhokhwe_1for young men still widely practiced by the Xhosa in South Africa. It marks the transition from youth to manhood. A boy who has just undergone circumcision sits in semi-darkness in a simple hut on a hill, far away from the village, as prescribed by the initiation ritual. He is covered from head iBhokhwe_2to toe with a paint made from clay which makes him look as white as a goat. This should be a period of healing, but he is cold and in pain. His grandfather, who is supposed to induct him into his new life, has not yet appeared. According to the belief system of the Xhosa, Ukwaluka also purges the boy from homosexual desires, for which there is no place in the world of adults.

Cinemaxx 1, 5.30pm


TITS
(Tits)

Tits_1

Sam, 13, hopes to conceal his breasts with a tightly worn leather belt. This slender teenager is going through a particularly tough time at his authoritarian boys’ school on account of a hormonal disorder. Desperate, he tries everything he can to avoid swimming lessons, but his worst fears are confirmed when he discovers a pink bra hanging from his peg. Nonetheless, Sam manages to find the courage to face up to one of the ringleaders and refuses to be blackmailed. The film displays a great deal of empathy for its protagonist’s fears and anxieties but also exudes charm and subtle humour.

Tits_7

Cinemaxx 1, 5.30pm


THROUGH A LENS DARKLY
(Through a Lens Darkly)

through_a_lens_darkly_2In his documentary, Thomas Allen Harris chronicles the history of photography from an Afro-American perspective. With the aid of archive photographs he makes apparent how the black community used the camera as a tool for social change. Making use of photographic arrangements, through_a_lens_darkly_1some of which are collage-like and others animated, the film introduces us to photographers of arthistorical importance.
Harris makes use of personal material depicting his own family in order to reflect upon the emergence of a sense of photographic identity among African Americans.


Cubix 7, 5.30pm


EL CARRO AZUL
(The Blue Car)

el_carro_azul_2

After his grandmother’s death Hansel returns to Cuba from San Francisco to look after his brother, Marcos, who has trisomy 21. The brothers have drifted apart. Marcos misses his grandmother and refuses to accept that she has died. She was the only one he trusted, the only one to look after him so patiently, and to teach him so much about the world. At first Marcos sees Hansel as an intruder in his world. He spends most of his time on the balcony looking up and down the street and playing a game he always used to play with his grandmother: waiting for an orange car. Hansel tries to approach his brother, albeit somewhat awkwardly. He begins to play the game with him, in his own way – hoping to regain his brother’s trust.

el_carro_azul_1   el_carro_azul_7

Colosseum 1, 1.00pm, Cinemaxx 1, 8.30pm


TEST
(Test)

It’s 1985. The location is San Francisco, 100092_still_TitleFrameAmerica’s ‘gay mecca’. Introverted Frankie is an understudy in a prestigious modern dance company. Todd, an established dancer in the troupe, is openly homosexual. When one of the dancers falls ill one day, Frankie is asked to stand in and Todd helps him prepare. Could the illness be theDSC_3661 ‘gay plague’ as they are already vilifying AIDS? Ignorance, repression, panic, fear, prejudice and open homophobia are rife. The friendship between these two very different men deepens in these new circumstances.
Chris Mason Johnson’s richly atmospheric film is reminiscent of the first great films of the time depicting the challenges faced by the community.

Cubix 7, 10.30pm, Cubix 8, 10.30pm


PAPILIO BUDDHA
(Papilio Buddha)

Shankaran discovers a rare butterfly, the Papilio_Buddha_1Papilio Buddha, which is only found in the Western Ghats in India. It is a near perfect moment for him and his gay friend, Jack. The American accompanies Shankaran home where he witnesses an argument between Shankaran and his father which he fails to understand. His father is the Papilio_Buddha_2leader of a group of Dalits, or low caste ‘untouchables’ who are engaged in a brutal struggle for land rights in many places in India. Although their rights have been enshrined in the constitution since independence, the police regard Dalits as terrorists. Shankaran is put behind bars and Jack is soon expelled from the country on account of his association with him.

Cinestar 3, 10.45pm