Blog

27Feb

By Zaide E.No Comments

Colorful blankness

,,Chimney Town: Frozen in Time" tells the adventurous story of Lubiccini, a chimney sweep who ends up in a parallel world on his way to see his friend Poupelle again, where he is tasked with repairing an important clock. The film stands out above all for its creative and colorful animations, which are carried by the cartoon-like characters. Lubiccini is a bright and funny child who is fun to watch on his expeditions. This was particularly evident in the cinema experience through the shouts of the young audience. The special and initially rocky friendship between Lubiccini and a grumpy cat is very moving. It shows how much shared experiences can bring people together. A very striking element in the film is the symbolism of the clock, which represents the passing of time. This introduc...

24Feb

By Hannah Everitt and Hannah EverittNo Comments

Film and Poetry, Review

keep on swimming or sink

„Chicas Tristes“ (Sad Girlz) by Fernanda Tovar tells the story of overwhelming sadness and feelings of powerlessness after rape. Visually stunning, the film does not focus on the assault itself, but rather on its impact on the victim and those close to her. Paula (Darana Álvarez) and Maestra (Rocio Guzmán) are best friends, both members of a swimming team. When Paula is raped by a teammate at a New Year's Eve party, the relationship between the two friends changes abruptly. The director portrays the friendship between the two teenagers with great empathy. True to the real dynamics between best friends, the director captures the beauty of female friendship. The film does not show the cruelty of violence but gives hope and clings to the beautiful things, just as Paula and Maestra cling t...

22Feb

By Sarah and JohannaNo Comments

Background, Interview

The reality of queer Black girls in South Africa – an interview with Sandulela Asanda about her film Black Burns Fast

A few days after the premiere of Black Burns Fast, Sarah and I have the opportunity to sit down with director Sandulela Asanda and chat about her film and the state of racism and homophobia in South Africa today. Having experienced South Africa as white Europeans several times over the last years, we feel privileged to discuss Sandulela’s perspective on her home country as a queer Black South African woman. Sandulela Asanda, © Felix Seuffert fGR: To start us off, could you please tell us a bit about how you experienced growing up with racism in South Africa and how things may have changed over time? Sandulela Asanda: The end of apartheid was the end of racial segregation, and opened up a lot of avenues and access for Black people, including economically. At the same time, even 30 years...

On Families Breaking Apart – an Interview with director Mees Peijnenburg

20Feb

By Konstantin and SarahNo Comments

Interview

On Families Breaking Apart – an Interview with director Mees Peijnenburg

Mees Peijnenburg is presenting his new feature A Family at this year’s Berlinale. The seasoned Generation director has come back to Berlin a fourth time to tell the Story of two siblings that bear witness to an emotional divorce by their parents. The film is split in three chapters, displaying the same events from the view of the 14 year old brother and the 17 year old sister as well as a reckoning about their shared trauma. Generation Reports (FGR): We’ve read that you’ve always wanted to tell a story about a family breaking apart. We’ve had a true intimate connection to you film. How do you connect with this story? Mees Peijnenburg: A Family started from a very personal point of view; my parents separated when I was young, and I always wanted to explore what that fracturing does to...

20Feb

By Sarah, Amaru Jarrín and Hannah EverittNo Comments

Interview

Improv, Openness and Spirituality – An Interview with Fernanda Tovar, the director of “Chicas Tristes”

„Chicas Tristes“ by Fernanda Tovar in this year’s 14Plus competition follows two girls on their journey to realize and cope with the sexual assault against one of them. After the film had premiered on the first Saturday of the Berlinale, some members of Generation Reports (fGR) had sat down to discuss the film. We all had been shaken and moved by the film. Meeting up with the director of the film, Fernanda Tovar, a few days later opened up new perspectives on this debut feature film. fGR: I've read somewhere that it took you seven years to write the book. With it being such a sensitive topic, how do you deal with something like that, that is so intense and hurtful, over such a long time, without breaking, but still conveying hope through the film? Fernanda Tovar: I broke a lot o...

Windows of revolution – interview with the directors of Memories of a Window

19Feb

By Liv ThastumNo Comments

Background, General, Interview, Review

Windows of revolution – interview with the directors of Memories of a Window

One of the most moving and politically urgent films in this year's Berlinale program is the Iranian shot film Memories of a window by Mehraneh Salimian and Amin Pakparvar. The film documents the Women, Life, Freedom protest in Iran in 2022 and the brutal oppression of the Iranian regime. At the same time, it is a poetic and deeply beautiful call to fight for your rights.I was eager to get to know the filmmakers behind this remarkable documentary. Since they couldn't make it to Berlin, we met online and I am very happy to be to share our conversation here. Amin Pakparvar and Mehraneh Salimian are both from Iran where they studied at Tehran University of Art. In 2023 they moved to Chicago to study at the Art Institute of Chicago. As Mehraneh explains they are partners in crime, in lif...

18Feb

By Amaru JarrínNo Comments

Review, Review

matapanki

Matapanki“ es una película chilena sobre un joven punk que consigue super poderes después de beber una mezcla entre vino barato, tequila y vodca y decide convertirse en superhéroe, pero esta película es mucho más que otra historia mainstream de superhéroes, es una crítica al gobierno chileno, a estados unidos y al capitalismo. Con el paso de la película el personaje principal se va encontrando con diferentes problemáticas en la política Latinoamericana tales como la violencia policial, el desfavorable sistema de salud y la desaparición forzada de gente por parte del gobierno, aunque estos temas no se tratan de manera explícita atreves de la película están presentes casi todo el tiempo y tienen un peso continuo en esta historia. Además se critica fuertemente a USA y a su actual presidente q...

18Feb

By LeoNo Comments

Review

‘You’re a remarkable girl.‘

A hot summer day, a crack in the asphalt and an unexpected encounter. ‘Bianca, your father and Cruz want to do things differently.‘ ‘Skip the intro, Mom.‘ ‘They think you're out of control.‘ ‘I'm... I'm not out of control.‘ One morning at the breakfast table, her mother tells her that her father and his new girlfriend Cruz think it would be more practical if she visited them every other weekend instead of every weekend. For 13-year-old Bianca, this is not the first time she has felt misunderstood — and, above all, unseen — by her family. Her parents have been separated for some time, and while her mother thinks she needs a ‘manual,‘ she pays much more attention to Bianca's nine-year-old brother Alan, who has a heart condition. Bianca, however, is just looking for stability and s...

17Feb

By Zaide E.No Comments

Review

A lightsparkling World

Review of Feito pipa: Glittering and sparkling, we dance in Gugu's world, which is filled with movement, lightness, and his grandmother. In Feito pipa (pt. like a kite), Gugu's world is told with great joie de vivre. Gugu is a bright person with many dreams and goals. The relationship between Gugu and her grandmother is colorful and deep, expressed through their shared passion for beauty. Beauty is not seen as superficiality, but as an expression of joie de vivre. The process of dressing up, putting on makeup, and getting ready seems genuine and radiates a sense of connection. This perspective is important. Negative associations and the devaluation of makeup, glitter, and clothing are a devaluation of femininity. The portrayal of a deep and expressive exploration of one's own expres...

17Feb

By Zaide E.No Comments

Review

Not a her0

... is probably the most abstruse film that the Kplus program has to offer in 2026. But it has absolutely earned its place. Mivan, an 11-year-old city kid, ends up staying with his aunt in an Indian village, where he is confronted with deadly boredom. Everything is unfamiliar. Mivan doesn't know what to do with himself, is on his cell phone, in the garden, and becomes more and more frustrated by the hour. It's a feeling that most people are probably familiar with: the incredible, captivating silence, the pointless passing of time. But also what can come out of this boredom: he starts banging on everything he can, observing and existing. This portrayal of boredom and the inconspicuous, seemingly irrelevant scenes of everyday life, such as the recurring element of going to the toilet...