The 2021 Berlinale is being held in two parts, the European Film Market (EFM), restricted to  the industry and the press, from March 1-5, and the public film festival, the Summer Special, scheduled for June 9-20 in Berlin cinemas and open air venues with jury members and award winners. The second component, if staged, will continue Berlinale’s tradition as the world’s biggest public film festival.  To date, the EFM has been very successful, with achievement similar to tha...

(© Rithy Panh) By Lindsay R. Bellinger Cambodian Oscar-nominated filmmaker Rithy Panh presented his shocking documentary to the world at the Berlinale Palast with his filmmaking team by his side. His documentary Irradiés (Irradiated), which is a Cambodian/French co-production running in Competition at Berlinale, is not an easy watch and clearly it was too heavy and vivid for some of the audience members who left during the screening. For those of us who stayed, we were treated to...

THE MILK OF SORROW  The cinema of South America made a considerable noise at the closing ceremonies of the 59th Berlin International Film Festival, winning most of the top prizes. In a year that saw weak entries from Europe and the United States, the glory migrated south of the border. THE MILK OF SORROW (La Teta Asustada) by Peruvian director Claudia Llosa won the evening’s top honor, the Berlinale Golden Bear. The film is a personal story that recalls the dark period of the 1980...