{"id":15814,"date":"2025-03-21T16:53:53","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T16:53:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schspin.stieve.com\/?p=15814"},"modified":"2025-06-05T20:29:20","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T20:29:20","slug":"die-erste-tuttle-berlinale-wettbewerb-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schspin.stieve.com\/gb\/2025\/03\/21\/die-erste-tuttle-berlinale-wettbewerb-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"The First Tuttle-Berlinale, February 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

Berlinale Feb. 3-23, 2025<\/span><\/h2>\n

In the past, I have occasionally examined and commented on the Berlin International Film Festival<\/a>, most recently the year before last: Berlinale 2023, the fourth year under Chatrian & Rissenbeek<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Two or three weeks ago, the 75th edition of the Berlinale ended, which was also the first with Tricia Tuttle<\/strong><\/span> as director. Tuttle<\/strong>, whose name made me think of the 1985 film BRAZIL, directed the London Film Festival from 2018-22. She is US-American, but has lived in Europe for over twenty-five years now.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Opening of the Berlinale 2025. f.l. Presenter Desir\u00e9e Nosbusch und Berlinale head Tricia Tuttle. Photo Berlin Int. Filmfestival \/ Sandra Weller.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Berlinale Competition 2025<\/span><\/h1>\n

Prologue: The opening film<\/span><\/h2>\n

One of the first messages I received about the 2025 festival – this was last December – was about the opening film THE LIGHT, which screened out of competition at the Berlinale. Tricia Tuttle (source Berlinale.de<\/a>) said:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we saw THE LIGHT, we knew immediately that we wanted to open the 75th Berlinale with it Tom Tykwer finds beauty and joy in our often fragile and challenging world. He magically captures the essence of our lives today on screen. We look forward to welcoming Tom Tykwer back to the festival with THE LIGHT.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I wrote about this on Insta<\/a> on December 5:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Just read the press release from the Berlinale Press Office: the film THE LIGHT by Tom Tykwer will open the 75th Berlinale next February.<\/span>
\nA quick 6-trade check gives a rosy picture, so far no woman in the core team, but editing is still pending.<\/span>
\nThe ‘typical’ female costume design also went to a man: Pierre-Yves Gayraud.<\/span>
\nIf the fulfillment of #2of6 had already been a condition for public funding (2 of the 6 trades must involve women), the \u20ac5.84 million could not have been awarded.<\/span>
\nBut as it is, congratulations.<\/span>
\nBy the way: IMDB lists more than 100 film people for this production under visual effects!<\/span>
\nAnd by the way II: If 5 of the 5 departments had been given to women, this would certainly be a topic in all the reports. But the other way around? (original post in German)<\/span><\/p>\n

In the meantime, the \u2018real\u2019 editors have also been added to the Berlinale website: Claus Wehlisch<\/span> and Alexander Berner<\/span>. The film sound editor position is not listed, but the sound design was handled by Mathias Lempert<\/span>, Frank Kruse<\/span> and Alexander Buck<\/span>. The producers were Uwe Schott<\/span> and Tom Tykwer<\/span>, and Tim Tamke<\/span> was responsible for the production design. I’ll add Alexandra Montag<\/span> <\/strong>(casting) and Nicolette Krebitz<\/span> <\/strong>(first-named role), so that it doesn’t remain completely monorosa.<\/span><\/p>\n

I didn’t care much for Tom Tykwer<\/strong>‘s last productions, the TV series BABYLON BERLIN (see Babylon Testosterone, Generously Funded.<\/a> 18.7.21 and Two German Series: BABYLON BERLIN and CLASH OF THE FUTURES<\/a>. 15.11.2018). Hence, I was not surprised by either the results of the\u00a0 6-deaprtments-check or the predominantly negative reviews I read about DAS LICHT. Tricia Tuttle<\/strong>‘s assessment – \u2018It magically captures the essence of our lives today on screen.\u2019 – was not shared. Val\u00e9rie Catil<\/span><\/strong>, for example, writes for the Goethe Institute<\/a> (in German, Feb. 25):<\/span><\/p>\n

The problem (…) is that the Syrian woman, Farrah*, ultimately remains a mere projection surface: Her story is instrumentalised to show the Germans that they are actually not doing so badly. (…) Farrah is not allowed to become a real character with dimensions. She is mysterious, flat, good at heart. She remains a catalyst, she remains the magical Syrian. Until the end, because in the end it is not only Farrah who heals the Engels family – it is also the Engels who \u2018save\u2019 them.<\/span>
\n*the family’s housekeeper<\/span><\/p>\n

Film critic Sophie Charlotte Rieger<\/strong> <\/span>sheds light on another aspect in her Filml\u00f6win article Berlinale 2025: Motherhood on and off the screen<\/a> from 27 February (in German):<\/p>\n

I first encounter the third mother at the festival kick-off, when I watch the unsuccessful opening film THE LIGHT. I’m almost driven mad by the way Tom Tykwer shows a mother who has completely alienated herself from her children due to her professional self-realisation – yes, that’s right, the classic working \u2018raven mother\u2019. At least Tykwer gives his character a therapy session (…). But shortly afterwards, I again see the \u2018raven mother\u2019 absorbed in her job as she walks past her children with her mobile phone to her ear, while the film never takes a critical look at her equally busy and distracted husband’s fatherhood. Thanks for nothing, Tom Tykwer. A sensitivity reading would have worked wonders. Feel free to get in touch next time!<\/p>\n

There is neither a sensitivity reader nor a dramaturgist or script consultant in the long crew lists at IMDB and crew united. Perhaps this is a bit astonishing because Tom Tykwer<\/strong> told Silke Mehring<\/span><\/strong> in an interview with regional public broadcaster rbb<\/a> on 14 February 2020: \u2018I have a lot of ideas, but sometimes they backfire, so I really need opposition.\u2019<\/p>\n

He could have sought opposition from Sophie Charlotte Rieger<\/strong>, for example, or from the German dramaturgy association VeDRA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I only heard really positive things about DAS LICHT from one filmmaker who was enthusiastic about the images – in other words, Christian Almesberger’s work.<\/span><\/p>\n

But now to the competition:<\/span><\/p>\n

The competition in figures<\/span><\/h2>\n

Stories<\/span><\/h3>\n

Unfortunately I haven’t seen the films, I only know the synopses from the Berlinale website, and I noticed the strong personal focus there. That makes them timeless in a way, but I wonder if that’s such a good thing. Films (and series) from the Corona era always have the absence of masks and contact restrictions in common – aren’t these relevant topics? – and even in the current films, the characters – in contrast to my personal experience – are little affected by the wars, crises, catastrophes and changes in this world. But as I said, I haven’t seen the competition films, maybe it’s different there. However, Hanns-Georg Rodeck<\/span> gives little hope for this in the world:<\/span><\/p>\n

‘You get the impression in general that this Berlinale has nothing concrete to say about the pressing problems. A single competition film – Zeitstempel (STRICHKA CHASU) shows how schools in the Ukraine endeavour to continue teaching despite the constant threat. The remaining 18 films in the competition either delve into the past or tell of deeply private sensitivities.<\/span>
\nHanns-Georg Rodeck \/ Die Welt, 20.2.25 (in German)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Producing countries<\/span><\/h3>\n

A total of 26 countries<\/strong> were involved in the production of the 19 competing films<\/strong>. The table shows the figures for 2025 and those from 2020 to 2023 from my article mentioned at the beginning:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

There are four films with more than three production countries in 2025:<\/span><\/p>\n