Interview Archive - Freie Generation Reporter:innen

The language of music – interview with composer Peyman Yazdanian

28März

Von Liv ThastumKeine Kommentare

Interview

The language of music – interview with composer Peyman Yazdanian

One of the most touching films of this year's Berlinale screened in the Generation K+ Section was the Chinese film Zhi Wu Xue Jia - The Botanist by Jing Yi. A film that takes us to a small village at the Chinese border close to Kasachstan. For its touching portrayal of the region, its enrichment to the discourse on the human-nature relation and its stunning pictures The Botanist receives this year's Grad Prix for Best Feature Film in the Generation K+ section. I was deeply touched by this film and especially by the wonderful music, that transported the beauty and melancholy of the pictures. Therefore I asked composer Peyman Yazdanian for an interview. Peyman is an Iranian pianist and music composer. He is internationally known for his compositions for both national and foreign feature fil...

Film as a Fight for Social Justice – an Interview with Director Lucia Murat about her Film ‚Hora do Recreio‘

18März

Von Anouk SegebartKeine Kommentare

Interview

Film as a Fight for Social Justice – an Interview with Director Lucia Murat about her Film ‚Hora do Recreio‘

It is tuesday afternoon during the Berlinale. The CinemaxX cinema is full of filmmakers, Journalists and Berlinale visitors. We manage to find a spot to record our own Interview, and are very excited when we finally get to meet and talk with Lucia Murat, the Director of 'Hora do Recreio'. In this interview, Lucia Murat talks about her personal background, about what moved her to make this movie, about the experience while working with the teenagers and about the systemic origins of violence. You can listen to it below, scroll further down to read along, or watch a shortened version of the Interview on our Instagram (or at the very bottom of the article). Interview by Liv Heyden and Anouk Segebart, video and photos by Lukas Mascher. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3OZBeNjWrekaz0vtX...

„Life is complex sometimes and that’s okay. You don’t have to be afraid of it.“ – An interview with Eric San, the director of Space Cadet

25Feb.

Von EmilyKeine Kommentare

Interview

„Life is complex sometimes and that’s okay. You don’t have to be afraid of it.“ – An interview with Eric San, the director of Space Cadet

The animated, dialogue-free film Space Cadet is part of this years Generation Kplus program and is centered around the beautiful relationship between the young girl Celeste and her guardian Robot. We had the chance to meet up with director Eric San at a café close to Filmtheater am Friedrichshain after one of the screenings. Sadly, we had to cut a majority of the fascinating and very pleasant, one-hour-long conversation. Here are some excerpts on the film, it’s themes, music and history and on the way kids deal with complex emotions. Freie Generation Reporter:innen (FGR): In general, how are you enjoying the Berlinale so far? How are the different screenings? Eric San: The premiere at HKW was wonderful. There was a full house, a thousand people or something, and just that real elect...

Der legendäre Berlinale-Schal oder 20 Jahre Berlinale Family

24Feb.

Von Clara1 Kommentar

Interview

Der legendäre Berlinale-Schal oder 20 Jahre Berlinale Family

im Interview mit einer treuen Berlinale Gängerin 2005 wurde ich das erste Mal von meiner Mutter mit auf die Berlinale genommen, und von fast allererster Stunde war Suse dabei, mit der ich seit dem jedes Jahr auf die Berlinale gehe und ganz viel gemeinsame Fetsival Geschichte teile. Ich habe mich schon immer gefragt, wie sieht die Berlinale für einen Menschen aus, der seit 20 Jahren das Festival besucht? Am Mittwochnachmittag treffe ich Suse im Cafe an der Urania, um uns über gemeinsame Berlinale Zeiten zu unterhalten. freie Generation Report:innen: Vielleicht erst mal zum Einstieg: wie bist Du zur Berlinale gekommen und kannst du Dich an deinen aller ersten Film erinnern? Suse: Nein, an meinen ersten Film erinnere ich mich leider nicht… Aber alles hat angefangen 2005, da habe ic...

„When you hear all these horrible stories you simply have to make this film“ – An interview with the director of Sunshine

21Feb.

Von SarahKeine Kommentare

Interview

„When you hear all these horrible stories you simply have to make this film“ – An interview with the director of Sunshine

With Sunshine (review) the experienced Filipina film maker Antoinette Jadaone presents a film that addresses the stigma surrounding abortion in her deeply Christian country. I had the opportunity to meet her and the male lead Elijah Canlas at Berlinale Palast to ask them a few questions. We talked about the state of abortions in the Philippines, and what it means to create a film covering such a difficult topic. Free Generation Reporters (fGR): What sparked your idea for the film? Antoinette Jadaone: I don't know if you have heard of the film Jojo Rabbit by Taika Waititi. It is a little bit of a weird connection, but in the film, the lead character had an imaginary friend who is Hitler. While watching it, I wasn't able to focus on the film anymore. I had this light bulb idea o...

20Feb.

Von JohannaKeine Kommentare

Interview

The art of creating change

An interview with Rima Das. Generation has the tendency to pull film makers back to Berlin again and again over the years. Sometimes it is for a second film, often they come back as part of the International Jury. For Rima Das it is already her third visit at Berlinale. After presenting her feature film Bulbul Can Sing (review) in the 2019 Generation program and returning as part of the International Jury in 2020, she is now showing her most recent feature film Village Rockstars 2 (review) in the 14Plus competition. The day after the European premier, Liv and I sit down with her and leading actress Bhanita Das at Berlinale Palast for an extended chat. In 2019 Liv and Carlotta already had the pleasure to interview her about Bulbul Can Sing (read here) and it’s a heartfelt reunion on...

21Feb.

Von JohannaKeine Kommentare

Interview

Taking the Berlinale’s hearts by storm

After an incredible premiere of Young Hearts by Anthony Schatteman I can’t help but want to speak to Anthony about his debut feature film. We meet at Berlinale Palast for an interview about Young Hearts and his experience at Berlinale so far. fGR: You’ve lived in Berlin before, but this is your first time at Berlinale presenting your own film. Do you have a favourite interaction so far or did you experience something particularly surprising? Anthony Schatteman: Today we showed the film to a very young audience for the first time. At the premiere on Saturday we had a few kids, but today it was a room full of schools. That scared me a bit, but the response was really good. At first I thought that maybe the children just like to clap, but during the Q&A so many of them came to the ...

26März

Von Liv ThastumKeine Kommentare

Interview, Kritik

Erinnerungen an Wüsten

Ein Rückblick auf die Berlinale 2023. Heute vor einem Monat war der letzte Tag der 73. Berlinale. Ich sitze auf dem kleinen Balkon eines Hotelzimmers in der Nähe von Zagora im Süden Marokkos. Das Mittagsgebet hallt kratzig durch die Lautsprecher des Minaretts und wird von den umliegenden Bergen zurückgeworfen. Ich blicke auf die Hauptstraße und den dahinter liegenden riesigen Palmenhain, der sich entlang des Wadi Draa Flusses bis zu den angrenzenden Bergen und der dahinter liegenden Erg Chigaga Wüste erstreckt. Die Sonne scheint erbarmungslos auf die ausgetrocknete Landschaft - die Berlinale und dieser kalte Februar könnte sich nicht weiter entfernt anfühlen. Also was ist da noch in meinem Kopf von der diesjährigen Berlinale? Was hat sich da festgesetzt und will auch keinen Platz mach...

1März

Von JohannaKeine Kommentare

Interview

Dreameater

After the premiere of Míng tian bi zuo tian chang jiu (Tomorrow Is a Long Time) I was intrigued by the process of making this film and the thoughts behind it. Thankfully, director Zhi Wei Jow stayed until the end of the festival and took some time out of his day to answer some of my most burning questions about his debut feature film. Freie Generation Reporter:innen: You were here in 2017 for the Talent Project Market. How does it feel to be back? Zhi Wei Jow: It’s amazing. When I was here in 2017, I watched a lot of films and realized that Berlin has such beautiful cinemas. I’d just been editing on a small laptop. So, seeing my film here on the big screen for the first time was such a moving experience. FGR: What has your favorite moment at Berlinale been? ZWJ: There are many things bu...

28Feb.

Von JohannaKeine Kommentare

Interview

Welcome to Country

It’s Thursday afternoon, two days before the Generation Kplus award ceremony. Jub Clerc (director of Sweet As) takes some time out of her day to talk to Konstantin and me about her debut feature film that captures the coming-of-age experience of an Indigenous girl called Murra. Freie Generation Reporter:innen: Congratulations on your debut feature film. How does it feel? Jub Clerc: *jokes* It’s no big deal! But in all honesty – Berlinale is like the Mecca for filmmakers, you just want to get here. There are a couple of festivals around the world, that everyone wants to get their film to. So when we heard we got into Berlinale it was the best news and we are so happy to be here. And the audiences are incredible. I never imagined that it would translate so well over here. But something is h...