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)

David 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 powerlessness 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)

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.

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.

Cubix 8, 3.30pm

FELICE QUI È DIVERSO
(Happy to be Different)

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)

Giovana 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 wants 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 2008 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 for 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 to 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)

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.

Cinemaxx 1, 5.30pm

THROUGH A LENS DARKLY
(Through a Lens Darkly)

In 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, some 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)

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.

Colosseum 1, 1.00pm, Cinemaxx 1, 8.30pm

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.

Cubix 7, 10.30pm, Cubix 8, 10.30pm

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.

Cinestar 3, 10.45pm

For me it should rain red roses today, because it is St. Valentine’s Day! And not just any St. Valentine’s Day, because today also the grand TEDDY AWARD GALA will take place in the Komische Oper Berlin.

Afterwards there will be a big party which will continue in Schwuz and last until the early hours of the morning!

Girls, get ready to rock!

And for everyone who wants to have a more quiet day, maybe as a couple in the cinema, should have a look at today’s movies, to see which movies are competing for one the much desired TEDDYS.

THROUGH A LENS DARKLY
(Through a Lens Darkly)

In 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, some 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.

Cinestar 7, 12.00am

THE DOG
(The Dog)

Over 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 Lumet’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 to 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.

International, 2.00pm

EL CARRO AZUL
(The Blue Car)

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.

Cinemaxx 5, 2.00pm, Cinemaxx 3, 7.30pm

VETRARMORGUN
(Winter Morning)

Maria hesitates when her best friend Birita offers her some pills, but – what the hell? Her mother’s away and they are both desperate to have some fun tonight. They set off and, once the drug takes effect, start euphorically planning how they might finally escape their dreary island. But they only manage to wind up at a party where they continue celebrating. Maria’s pupils are wide open in her delicate face. She may be high, but she doesn’t feel at all well any more. It now transpires that Birita has plans for her friend: she wants Maria finally to have sex with a boy and put a stop to the stupid gossip about her being a lesbian.

Cinemaxx 1, 2.30pm

FUCKING DIFFERENT
(Fucking Different)

The sixth part in the compilation film series Fucking Different breaks new ground. FUCKING DIFFERENT XXY intends to dissolve the binarity of classic gender identities. Seven transgender filmmakers from all over the world have made short films about aspects of sexuality which are alien to them. The mixture is colourful and diverse and includes documentary contributions from pornographic filmmakers Buck Angel and experimental approaches by J Jackie Baier who comes from a documentary background. The film series attempts to overturn stereotypes about the ‘other’ and what’s ‘normal’ – stereotypes which also exist in the queer community. – Break stereotypes, create confusion and celebrate diversity!

Cubix 7, 5.30 pm

CASTANHA
(Castanha)

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.

Cinestar 3, 5.45pm

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.

Cinemax 7, 8.00pm

QUICK CHANGE
(Quick Change)

’You’ll be beautiful and it won’t even hurt!’ This is what Dorina promises dozens of her clients. She has come to Manila from Japan to help them realise their dream of winning a Miss Gay or Miss Amazing beauty contest. Decked out in the eccentric and colourful costumes of the show there’s no sign of the earlier injections into their cheeks, nose, lips, breasts, hips and behind. Until one day the dark side of this artificially created beauty comes to light.
With documentary precision and breathtaking speed director Eduardo Roj, Jr. follows his heroine as she moves through the harsh world of a community obsessed with beauty and with improving their chances of a career.

Cinestar 3, 8.15pm

YE
(The Night)

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.

Cubix 7, 10.30pm, Cubix 8, 10.30pm

CASTANHA
(Castanha)

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.

Cubix 9, 10.30 pm