Category Archives: Teddy 2014

4. Day: The outer world of the inner world of the outer world

The outer world of the inner worldm that is the inner world of the outer world, if the outer world affords itself an inner world with an outer world. The inner world of the TEDDY, that is in the first place the outer world of the queer family, which is fed by the inner world of this outer world. The TEDDY ask where we come from, where we go to. The films shout over the abyss of lack of understanding answers, which sometimes die away in nothingness and sometimes create a big stir in the ocean of understanding. On the beach, polished by the movements of the water, they remain in the sand of mankind, those ambers of culture, which conserve who and what we were. Pearls of culture, many still undiscovered. What will the ocean give to us this year? What will be a pearl on the beach and what will be one before swine? Which amber will be found, which will remain in the sand? And what else is there? Nothing else? No, nothing else?

Or? Yes! Today’s movies about aesthetics, lust and joy.

image

Sebastian

P.S.:


AS ROSAS BRANCAS
(The White Roses)

as_rosas_brancas_1

as_rosas_brancas_7A 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.

Cinemaxx, 10.00pm


52 TUESDAY
(52 Tuesdays)

52_Tuesdays_3

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

Cinemaxx 3, 4.30pm


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 3, 10.00pm


MONDIAL 2010
(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.

Cinemaxx 3, 10.00pm


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!’

Cinemaxx 3, 10.00pm


VIHARSAROK
(Land of Storms)

Viharsarok_3Szabolcs, a young Hungarian footballer, plays for a German team and is good friends with his roommate Bernard. But Szabolcs decides to return to Hungary. In search of a new start in life, he decides to keep bees on his grandfather’s farm. But then Áron, a stonemason’s apprentice from the nearby Viharsarok_2village arrives on the scene. Together they renovate the farm and before long their matey relationship turns into a love affair. Bernard comes for a visit and tries to persuade Szabolcs to return to Germany. For a while, an idyllic ménage à trois ensues. But when Bernard leaves, Szabolcs decides to stay on with Áron: there’s no way he can leave him behind inViharsarok_1 such a repressed and intolerant environment.

Cinestar 3, 5.45pm


UNFRIEND
(Unfriend)

David lives with his grandmother. Warm and humorous, she supports her grandchild’s openly gay life, but he prefers to withdraw into his Facebook world at every opportunity. David would do anything for Jonathan and openly shares his feelings with online friends. When Jonathan posts images of himself with a new lover on Christmas Eve David struggles to overcome his powerlessness with a feverish obsession to win back his friend and soon finds himself in the grip of both real and virtual aspects of his unstable personality.
With an assured hand, Altarejos melds real and virtual worlds into a sensual, electrifying atmospheric arena that confronts us with his protagonist’s deep wounds.

Unfriend_2 Unfriend_1

Cinestar 3, 10.45pm


FINDING VIVIAN MAIER
(Finding Vivian Maier)

John Maloof loves forced sales where he can acquire items from an individual’s private estate. One day he makes the astonishing discovery of a box of undeveloped films and negatives that were found in an attic. There are a particularly large number of photographs of children, absorbed in play, or staring confidently into the lens. But who was behind the camera? And why were the photographs of Vivian Maier never discovered? John Maloof embarks on his research. He is hunting for clues about the life of this woman who for over forty years travelled the world with her camera. His ensuing portrait is a fascinating depiction of an artist with an open gaze to which even strangers consented.

Finding_Vivian_Maier_1 Finding_Vivian_Maier_2

Cinestar 7, 10.30pm


VULVA 3.0
(Vulva 3.0)

Vulva_3.0_2

Many women are still deeply prudish when it comes to the relationship with their own body, while in public we see de-individualised anatomies which conform to the standards of attractiveness used by the porn industry. The resultant insecurity many women feel about their own bodies has proven to be a gold-mine for cosmetic genital surgery.
With their comprehensive research into the history of this particular aspect of the female anatomy in the 21st century, the directors shed light on it, from sex education to censorship, from the airbrushing of ‘misshapen’ labia in pornographic images to the work of activists against female genital mutilation – and in doing so celebrate the diversity of the female body.

Vulva_3.0_1

Colosseum 1, 3.30pm


YA GAN BI HAENG
(Night Flight)

Yong-ju bumps into his ex-best friend, Gi-woong. They are in the same class but have long since gone their separate ways. Gi-woong’s gang is notorious for their cruel bullying of an eccentric classmate named Gi-taek. His attempts to regain their old friendship mean Yong-ju also runs the risk of becoming a target of this terrorising clan, but he refuses to give in. Instead, Yong-ju cleverly draws Gi-woong into a power game of mutual humiliation and burgeoning memories which triggers a dangerous emotional duel. The director of last year’s Panorama film WHITE NIGHT has chosen anonymous and abandoned urban spaces in which to depict the emotional turmoil gripping the two schoolboys.

Ya_Gan_Bi_Haeng_2 Ya_Gan_Bi_Haeng_1

Cubix 7, 10.30pm, Cubix 8, 10.30pm


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

Cubix 9, 2.30pm


LOVE IS STRANGE
(Love is Strange)

love_is_strange_1

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.

Cubix 9, 5.00pm


PIERROT  LUNAIRE
(Pierrot Lunaire)

Pierrot_Lunaire_2

A young woman that regularly dresses as a 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.

 Pierrot_Lunaire_3    Pierrot_Lunaire_1

   Delphi Filmpalast, 2.00pm


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.

Haus der Kulturen der Welt Kino 1, 1.00pm

3. Day: Sotschi! – Bless you!

Good health! That is what we wish the Russian government in these days, good psychological health.

At the same time as the Berlinale started, also the XXII. Olympic Winter Games in the Russian city of Sotschi celebrated their beginning. But this sports event is not just about skiing and curling. The Olympic Games were and are because of their locations also a political event, no matter if in 1936, 1980, 2008 or 2014. A lot of people will not be given a voice in this year during this sports event.

The TEDDY on the other side was and is also a political award, which by supporting queer movies and queer culture wants to give a voice to those, who otherwise would remain unheard. Everyone who listens to this voice can learn a lot – about other people, other countries but also about themselves. Today’s TEDDY films contribute to this dialogue of cultures and who know what Putin would find about himself, if he was watching them…

http://media0.giphy.com/media/DtjdzX9tKHBfy/giphy.gif

So, Mr. Putin, do you have any plans for tonight?

http://i.imgur.com/b5qF7Bi.gif

Sebastian


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

Cinemaxx 7, 10.00am


LOVE IS STRANGE
(Love is Strange)

love_is_strange_1

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.

Cinemaxx 7, 12.45am


CASTANHA
(Castanha)

Castanha_1

52-year-old actor and transvestite João has his best years behind him. He’s ill, has lost both lovers and companions along the way and appears weary, even if none of this stops him from living the way he always has. João shares two rooms with his mother in a housing complex closed off to the outside; at night he performs in small theatres and gay bars.
The film makes just as much time for solitary moments in shabby backstage areas as it does for João’s performances and his unforgettable face, exploring a milieu at once tender, brutal and cruel with precision, its fleeting glamour only skin-deep. Its complex layers of documentary observation and fictional elements coalesce into a story of life and death.

Castanha_3 Castanha_2

Cinestar 8, 1.45pm


FINDING VIVIAN MAIER
(Finding Vivian Maier)

John Maloof loves forced sales where he can acquire items from an individual’s private estate. One day he makes the astonishing discovery of a box of undeveloped films and negatives that were found in an attic. There are a particularly large number of photographs of children, absorbed in play, or staring confidently into the lens. But who was behind the camera? And why were the photographs of Vivian Maier never discovered? John Maloof embarks on his research. He is hunting for clues about the life of this woman who for over forty years travelled the world with her camera. His ensuing portrait is a fascinating depiction of an artist with an open gaze to which even strangers consented.

Finding_Vivian_Maier_1 Finding_Vivian_Maier_2

Cinestar 7, 2.30pm


THE DOG
(The Dog)

The_Dog_1Over ten years in the making, Allison Berg’s and Frank Keraudren’s powerful documentary THE DOG follows the life of John Wojtowicz, who spectacularly attempted to secure the money for his partner’s sex change by robbing a bank in Brooklyn in 1972. His attempted heist was made famous by Sidney The_Dog_2Lumet’s 1975 film DOG DAY AFTERNOON. Making use of copious archive footage, photographs and testimonials from contemporaries, the filmmakers follow not only Wojtowicz’s occasionally bizarre life and progression from lower-middle class right-winger The Dog_3to militant gay activist, but also provide an unconventional survey of gay culture in New York during the past forty years. The Dog is truly a labour of love with Wojtowicz as its fascinating anti-hero, captured here in all his humaneness.

Colosseum 1, 3.30pm


AS ROSAS BRANCAS
(The White Roses)

as_rosas_brancas_1

as_rosas_brancas_7A 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.

Cinemaxx 5, 4.00pm


THROUGH A LENS DARKLY
(Through a Lens Darkly)

In his impressive and artistically versatile documentary, Thomas Allen Harris chronicles the history of photography from an Afro-American perspective. With the aid of countless archive photographs he makes apparent how, from the beginnings of photography to the present day, the black community used the camera as a tool for social change. Making use of photographic arrangements, some of which are collage-like and others animated, the film introduces us to photographers of arthistorical importance like Roy De Carvava.
Harris once again 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 in the USA.

through_a_lens_darkly_2 through_a_lens_darkly_1

Cubix 7, 5.30pm


52 TUESDAY
(52 Tuesdays)

52_Tuesdays_3

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

Haus der Kulturen der Welt Kino 1, 8.00pm


VIHARSAROK
(Land of Storms)

Viharsarok_3Szabolcs, a young Hungarian footballer, plays for a German team and is good friends with his roommate Bernard. But Szabolcs decides to return to Hungary. In search of a new start in life, he decides to keep bees on his grandfather’s farm. But then Áron, a stonemason’s apprentice from the nearby Viharsarok_2village arrives on the scene. Together they renovate the farm and before long their matey relationship turns into a love affair. Bernard comes for a visit and tries to persuade Szabolcs to return to Germany. For a while, an idyllic ménage à trois ensues. But when Bernard leaves, Szabolcs decides to stay on with Áron: there’s no way he can leave him behind inViharsarok_1 such a repressed and intolerant environment.

International, 8.00pm


UNFRIEND
(Unfriend)

David lives with his grandmother. Warm and humorous, she supports her grandchild’s openly gay life, but he prefers to withdraw into his Facebook world at every opportunity. David would do anything for Jonathan and openly shares his feelings with online friends. When Jonathan posts images of himself with a new lover on Christmas Eve David struggles to overcome his powerlessness with a feverish obsession to win back his friend and soon finds himself in the grip of both real and virtual aspects of his unstable personality.
With an assured hand, Altarejos melds real and virtual worlds into a sensual, electrifying atmospheric arena that confronts us with his protagonist’s deep wounds.

Unfriend_2 Unfriend_1

Cinemaxx 7, 8.00pm


YA GAN BI HAENG
(Night Flight)

Yong-ju bumps into his ex-best friend, Gi-woong. They are in the same class but have long since gone their separate ways. Gi-woong’s gang is notorious for their cruel bullying of an eccentric classmate named Gi-taek. His attempts to regain their old friendship mean Yong-ju also runs the risk of becoming a target of this terrorising clan, but he refuses to give in. Instead, Yong-ju cleverly draws Gi-woong into a power game of mutual humiliation and burgeoning memories which triggers a dangerous emotional duel. The director of last year’s Panorama film WHITE NIGHT has chosen anonymous and abandoned urban spaces in which to depict the emotional turmoil gripping the two schoolboys.

Ya_Gan_Bi_Haeng_2 Ya_Gan_Bi_Haeng_1

Cinestar, 8.15pm


PAPILIO BUDDHA
(Papilio Buddha)

Shankaran discovers a rare butterfly, the Papilio 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 leader 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.

Papilio_Buddha_1 Papilio_Buddha_2

Cinestar, 10.00pm


YE
(The Night)

Ye_1

A young man stands in front of a mirror. Every evening, he appraises his appearance, attired in a new shirt, leaves his apartment and waits in a poorly lit alleyway for his johns. One night he meets a female prostitute of his age who’s new in this part of town. They flirt and wander the streets and name themselves after flowers: he calls himself Tuberose and she, Narcissus. The strangers they follow remain faceless – until Rose, a one-night stand, falls in love with Tuberose. In his visually impressive, sensual debut film in which he also plays the leading role this 21-year-old director demonstrates all the poetic intensity of a Jean Genet in describing these three misfits’ mute search for intimacy.

Ye_2

Cinestar 7, 10.30pm


DER SAMURAI
(The Samurai)

Der SamuraiRegie: Till KleinertDeutschland 2013Caption: Pit Bukowski

People in the Brandenburg countryside are scared of wolves. But once this night is over people will wish it had just been a wolf that had come to haunt them. Instead, a nightmare in the shape of a nameless stranger with a samurai sword appears at the edge of the forest and leaves a trail of destruction in the village. For young local police officer Jakob the encounter with the warrior forces him to confront his own demons and face long-buried aspects of his personality. The more doggedly Jakob tries to maintain his moral armour and uphold his sense of law and order against the onslaught of the irrational, the more irresistible becomes his secret urge to accept his opponent’s gift.

 Der_Samurai_2  Der_Samurai_7

Cinemaxx 1, 11.00pm


2. Day: TEDDY PARTY – Let’s go wild

The TEDDY is normally not a shy deer, but still you don’t see it very often in its natural environment since it sleeps and rests on almost 354 days of the year. While other bears return to their caves for hibernation, the TEDDY becomes more active, its sleep more shallow, its dreams more vivid. It slowly begins to wake up, which can take between 3 and 4 months. But then it is wide awake in an instant moment, rushes to the international stars in the German capital, which – as it secretly knows – come only to see the roaring TEDDY, it is to be found on every party and at the end he is traditionally the host of the “Best Party of the Berlinale” as which experts state the grand TEDDY GALA. But this year this are different, because this year the TEDDY surprises everyone with not only one, but two big parties. And the first one is tonight’s grand opening Party at SchwuZ, where we will also welcome this year’s international TEDDY Jury!

http://www.gurl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/party-gif.gif

So, see you on the dancefloor!

Sebastian

P.S.: But please take good care of yourselves, because SchwuZ moved to Neukölln and we all know what’ going on down there…

http://gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/rollerblade-gangster.gif

P.P.S.: For everyone who wants to stand in the flashlights of the Berlinale glamour before taking a bath in the party crowd, we can also today recommend a variety of fascinating movies which compete for one of the wanted TEDDY AWARDS:


BIM, BAM, BOM, LAS LUCHAS MORENAS
(Bim, Bam, Bom, las luchas morenas)

bim_bam_boom_1

Three women/three sisters/three professional luchadoras, part of the Dynasty Moreno: Rossy, Esther and Cynthia are competitive wrestlers on the ring. But they also bring lucha libre into life, wrestling with knives, pig heads, flowers and feathers!

Arsenal 1, 2.30pm


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

Zoopalast, 6.00pm


LOVE IS STRANGE
(Love is Strange)

love_is_strange_1

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.

Zoo Palast, 9.00 pm


CARAVAGGIO
(Caravaggio)

On his deathbed, the painter Michelangelo Caravaggio (1571–1610) looks back on his life. In flashbacks we see his Milan, the man who fostered his talent, and above all, his relationships with his models. Caravaggio finds the models for his mainly religious paintings among outsiders. On his forays into the world of the poor, criminals, and drunkards, he meets the gambler Ranuccio and his lover, the prostitute Lena. The passionate love triangle comes to an abrupt end when the body of a pregnant Lena is pulled from the Tiber.
Derek Jarman charts the (fictional) portrait of an artist lived between debauchery and social protest, transferring Caravaggio’s art with an artistic verve of his own onto the screen.

Caravaggio_1   Carvaggio_2

Haus der Berliner Festspiele, 9.30pm


CASTANHA
(Castanha)

Castanha_1

52-year-old actor and transvestite João has his best years behind him. He’s ill, has lost both lovers and companions along the way and appears weary, even if none of this stops him from living the way he always has. João shares two rooms with his mother in a housing complex closed off to the outside; at night he performs in small theatres and gay bars.
The film makes just as much time for solitary moments in shabby backstage areas as it does for João’s performances and his unforgettable face, exploring a milieu at once tender, brutal and cruel with precision, its fleeting glamour only skin-deep. Its complex layers of documentary observation and fictional elements coalesce into a story of life and death.

Castanha_3 Castanha_2

Cinemaxx 4, 10.00pm


THE DOG
(The Dog)

The_Dog_1Over ten years in the making, Allison Berg’s and Frank Keraudren’s powerful documentary THE DOG follows the life of John Wojtowicz, who spectacularly attempted to secure the money for his partner’s sex change by robbing a bank in Brooklyn in 1972. His attempted heist was made famous by Sidney The_Dog_2Lumet’s 1975 film DOG DAY AFTERNOON. Making use of copious archive footage, photographs and testimonials from contemporaries, the filmmakers follow not only Wojtowicz’s occasionally bizarre life and progression from lower-middle class right-winger The Dog_3to militant gay activist, but also provide an unconventional survey of gay culture in New York during the past forty years. The Dog is truly a labour of love with Wojtowicz as its fascinating anti-hero, captured here in all his humaneness.

Cinestar 7, 10.30pm


YA GAN BI HAENG
(Night Flight)

Yong-ju bumps into his ex-best friend, Gi-woong. They are in the same class but have long since gone their separate ways. Gi-woong’s gang is notorious for their cruel bullying of an eccentric classmate named Gi-taek. His attempts to regain their old friendship mean Yong-ju also runs the risk of becoming a target of this terrorising clan, but he refuses to give in. Instead, Yong-ju cleverly draws Gi-woong into a power game of mutual humiliation and burgeoning memories which triggers a dangerous emotional duel. The director of last year’s Panorama film WHITE NIGHT has chosen anonymous and abandoned urban spaces in which to depict the emotional turmoil gripping the two schoolboys.

Ya_Gan_Bi_Haeng_2 Ya_Gan_Bi_Haeng_1

Cinemaxx 7, 10.30pm


TEST
(Test)

It’s 1985. The location is San Francisco, America’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 the ‘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.

DSC_3661   100092_still_TitleFrame

Cinestar 3, 10.45pm


Meet the Jury: Lucia Kajankova

Name: Lucia Kajankova
Country: Czech Republic
Festival: Mezipatra

Kajankova_TeddyJury

How do you like Berlin? What is special about the city for you?
I adore Berlin and have been visiting the city quite regularly since I was 16. For me, it’s a sister-city to my home at Prague (and quite close to get there quickly) – but kinkier, more dynamic and mixed in what is there to experience expecially in the indie & queer scene, just the perfect place to be weird and enjoy that.

How would you describe the Berlinale in one sentence?
Where cinephiles, industry, emerging filmmakers, stars, friends and “wait-till-you-hear-about-my-new-project”-attention-hunters gather for ten days on an immensely fun and exhausting 10-day freezing hunt for films, caffeine and the one thing to remember after we all go home.

What was your first encounter with the TEDDY AWARD?
It was the same year I started programming and first visited Berlinale. Pretty much my whole schedule was quickly based on the TEDDY selection. Jake Yuzna’s Open, one of my favourite ground-breaking queer films won the Jury Special Mention.

In your eyes, what does the TEDDY AWARD symbolize? What does it stand for? What makes it unique?
It symbolizes the merge of grand film festivals (such as Berlinale itself, Cannes, Venice, Sundance and so) and the distinctive place of specialized queer / lgbt film festivals – as a communication space between the two worlds as well as an appreciation for the role queer / lgbt films and filmmakers have (and should have) in the main spotlight. And this was a long battle, of which TEDDY AWARD is one the important pioneers.

Tell us about a movie you’ve recently seen.
Wolf of Wall Street – pure orgy of what is the power of cinematic storytelling while rejecting the appeal to moralize that is often asked of artists. I tremendously enjoyed the film.