StanaCard: The Berlin International Film Festival Takes a Political Stance

One of the most important events in the international film world, the Berlin Film Festival or "Berlinale," is quickly approaching. The festival will run from February 10-20, with the awards ceremony taking place on the 19th. The 2011 lineup features over 400 films from all over the world, which range in subject matter from documentaries to political pieces to light comedies. This year, 22 films will compete for the Golden Bear, which is the main prize of the festival. Close to 300,000 people from all over the world will attend this event, and there were about 500,000 submissions to this year’s festival.

Decorations are already in place for
the upcoming "Berlinale" Festival

There are numerous countries represented in the 22 films which will compete for the Golden Bear including Germany, Iran, France, Albania, Mexico, Poland, Hungary, South Korea, Serbia, Israel and many others.

This is a special year for the festival, as they will dedicate much of the time to honor Jafar Panahi, a renowned Iranian film director who was recently unfairly sentenced to 6 years in prison by the Iranian government. Panahi was sentenced to prison for “assembly and colluding with the intention to commit crimes against the country’s national security and propaganda against the Islamic Republic,” due to the fact that his films often explored controversial subjects including treatment of women in Iran. Many influential filmmakers have petitioned for his release, including Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Steven Spielberg, Oliver Stone, and the Coen brothers among many others.

Panahi with his Silver Bear
at the 2006 festival.

Panahi, whose film Offside won the prestigious Silver Bear in 2006, had been invited to be a juror at this year’s competition, but he was sentenced to prison on December 20, 2010. Offside is the story of a group of young Islamic girls who disguise themselves as boys in order to attend a football match; one of the many Panahi films to have a controversial message. The festival, which has a history of not shying away from political protest, will screen five of Panahi’s films and will host a discussion with Iranian filmmakers regarding the freedom of expression through film in Iran.

This year’s festival marks the first time that the arthouse film world has tried to embrace the 3D technology that blockbuster films have been using for the past few years. Three 3D movies have been entered into the festival, including renowned German director Werner Herzog’s Cave of Forgotten Dreams.