Minghella starts the festival

by Cineuropa

05/02/2004 - The opening gala features a screening of Cold Mountain starring Nicole Kidman, Renée Zellweger and Jude Law. The director of the Berlinale, Dieter Kosslick, proposes a programme of films looking at our history and political reality

Tonight sees the start of the 54th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival, known as the Berlinale, which kicks off with a screening of Cold Mountain [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Anthony Minghella. The opening ceremony will be presented Anke Engelke and the Festival’s director, Dieter Kosslick. For the first time, it will be broadcast live in 5 cinemas, in the German cities of Munich, Nuremberg, Cologne, Hamburg and Dettelbach. Film buffs who haven’t managed to make it to Berlin in person can also see a screening of the opening film by the British director.

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This year’s Berlinale will be featuring new works by established directors like John Boorman, Ken Loach, Theo Angelopoulos and Eric Rohmer. There are so many subjects being tackled that it’s difficult to find a linking theme, but, according to the Festival’s director, Kosslick, "many directors seem to be going back to dealing with political issues in their films".

Here are all the films in the running for the Golden Bear

1. 20 : 30 : 40
(Sylvia Chang, TAIW/HK, 107 Min.)

2. 25 degrés en hiver
(Stéphane Vuillet, BEL/F/SP, 90 Min.)

3. Ae Fond Kiss
(Ken Loach, GB, 103 Min.)

4. Beautiful Country
(Hans Petter Moland, NO/US, 126 Min.)

5. Before Sunset (Richard Linklater, US, 80 Min.)

6. Confidences Trop Intimes
(Patrice Leconte, FR, 104 Min.)

7. Country of my Skull
(John Boorman, UK, 100 Min.)

8. Die Nacht singt ihre Lieder (Nightsongs)
(Romuald Karmakar, DE, 95 Min.)

9. El Abrazo Partido
(Daniel Burman, AR, 100 Min.)

10. Feux Rouges
(Cédric Kahn, FR, 106 Min.)

11. Forbrydelser (In Your Hands)
(Annette K. Olesen, DK, 101 Min.)