BERLIN — Berlin International Film FestivalNext month, it will be held in person despite rising virus numbers in GermanyOrganisers said Wednesday that the event would be a success, particularly in the capital.
“We are aware of the challenges posed by the unpredictable course of the pandemic,”Festival management released a statement stating that strict pandemic precautions would be taken for the 72nd anniversary of one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world.
“We want the festival to send a signal to the entire film industry, to cinemas and moviegoers, and to culture as a whole — we need cinema, we need culture,”Claudia Roth, Germany’s State Minister of Culture and Media, stated.
“Of course, in today’s times, this can only be managed with some painful cuts and with constant vigilance,”She continued. “The pandemic situation is dynamic, and the Berlin Film Festival is adapting to the resulting challenges.”
Only those who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or have recently recovered from an illness, will be permitted to access the grounds of the festival.
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Everyone attending will also need to take a rapid test every day and wear masks. Movie theater attendance will be reduced to 50% capacity and all parties and receptions — usually an essential highlight of the film festival — will be canceled.
Last year’s film festival was revamped due to the virus and split into two parts — one for the industry and one that screened movies during the summer.
The opening is still scheduled for Feb. 10 and the awards will be given out a little earlier than initially planned, on Feb. 16, the German news agency dpa reported.
The festival’s opening film is “Peter von Kant”Francois Ozon is a French film director and screenwriter. This movie is an uncensored interpretation of Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s film “The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant.”
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The film, which stars Denis Ménochet, Isabelle Adjani and Hanna Schygulla, is part of the festival’s international competition and will celebrate its world premiere on Feb. 10, the organizers said.
American filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan will head the festival’s jury. Isabelle Huppert, a French actress, will receive an Honorary Golden Bear in recognition of her lifetime achievements.
“Huppert is one of the most versatile actors in the world and has played an impressive range of characters in almost 150 cinema and television productions,”Festival management.
