Eleven fictional and eight documentary films have been selected to screen in the 36th Panorama program of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival taking place from February 5 to 15, 2015.  

East Asia will again make a strong showing in 2015. Already confirmed are significant works by renowned directors from Taiwan and South Korea. With Paradise in Service, director Doze Niu Chen-Zer from Taiwan presents a difficult chapter of East Asian history that has hardly ever been dealt with before: the establishment of brothels to keep up the morale of armed forces in the battle “against Mao”. And with JK Youn’s epic Ode to My Father, South Korea, half of a still divided country, investigates the repercussions of the Korean War and their impact on today.

The USA’s presence will also be felt: After Henry Fool and Fay Grim (Panorama 2007), cult filmmaker Hal Hartley, an iconic figure from the golden days of 1980s US-independent film, has concluded his trilogy with a masterpiece: Ned Rifle. And Justin Kelly provides an unusual directorial debut with I Am Michael, which was co-produced by Gus Van Sant. In it James Franco portrays a gay activist during the so emancipating 1980s, who then tries to turn straight in the 1990s. From the same decade, but set in the 1980s is an example of a filmmaker’s extraordinary perseverance, even though his work was edited beyond recognition by its investors: seventeen years after the premiere of the film 54 about the legendary New York nightclub, Studio 54, director Mark Christopher is presenting his original cut 54 – The Director’s Cut to the public.

Raoul Peck will present his latest work in the Panorama: the Haitian-French-Norwegian co-production Murder in Pacot (screenplay: Pascal Bonitzer). A character piece set outdoors against the catastrophe of the earthquake in Port-au-Prince looks with bitter rage at class distinctions in Haitian society.

One film from Latin America has already been confirmed, a co-production from Uruguay and Chile: Aldo Garay’s The New Man. Here, too, recent history is explored: in the heat of the battle that Tupamaros and Sandinistas are fighting against the military dictatorships in their respective countries, Roberto, a young boy from Nicaragua, suddenly finds himself with foster parents in Uruguay. When he then decides to change his gender, he is also confronted with the limits of tolerance in leftist society.

Child abuse is the subject in several works, including the aforementioned The New Man, and films from Austria (The Last Summer of the Rich by Peter Kern), Switzerland (Dora or the Sexual Neuroses of Our Parents by Stina Werenfels), Canada (Chorus by Francois Delisle) and the Czech Republic (Daniel’s World by Veronika Liskova). Evidently the time is ripe to broach this difficult topic again and in so doing take even greater risks.

The Norwegian fictional film Out of Nature by Ole Giæver and Marte Vold is a zeitgeisty parable about a man, and his search for identity and joy in life. The young father needs a break from parental bliss: he retreats to the mountains to rethink what he wants from life.

In the Swedish contribution Dyke Hard by Bitte Anderson, all the stops have been pulled on what makes indie cinema so entertaining. A zany, quasi musical of post-punk-lesbo-rock-‘n’-roll calibre: this is underground fun at its purest.

Five other films (besides The New Man, The Yes Men and Daniel’s World) have already been confirmed for Panorama Dokumente:

B-Movie – Lust & Sound in West-Berlin by Jörg A. Hoppe, Klaus Maeck and Heiko Lange also embraces this rediscovered pleasure in the 1980s: a cornucopia of unbridled creativity spurts from this period in Berlin, which is revealed here to have been a highpoint. Alongside almost forgotten gems are tracks by Gudrun Gut, Blixa Bargeld and Nick Cave, among others.

Scandal at the Zoo Palast: R.W. Fassbinder’s conquest of the Berlinale began with Love Is Colder than Death in the 1969 Competition. In Fassbinder – To Love without Demands, Danish filmmaker Christian Braad Thomsen opens his archive and generously gives us a contemplative afternoon in a hotel room in Cannes with this unendingly inspiring filmmaker.

Kenya is among those African countries where, under the influence of evangelical organisations from the United States, hatred has been ignited against homosexuals. In Stories of Our Lives, Jim Chuchu lets a whole range of brave people talk. Banned in its country of origin, the film also presents pre-Christian rites that respect self-determination much more than society today.

In his 162-minute 3D documentary Iraqi Odyssey, Iraqi-Swiss filmmaker Samir masterly depicts the latest, highly complex history of Iraq as revealed by events in a family.

Last not least, news of a celebration! On February 13, 2014, the Teddy Awards will be presented for the second time at the Komische Oper Berlin. The Special Teddy 2015 will go to Udo Kier. Almost no other actor has crossed, fused, redrawn and extended the many boundaries of cinematic art with such ease.

54: The Director’s Cut 
USA
By Mark Christopher
With Ryan Phillippe, Salma Hayek, Mike Myers, Sela Ward, Mark Ruffalo
World premiere

Chorus 
Canada
By François Delisle
With Sébastien Ricard, Fanny Mallette, Pierre Curzi, Geneviève Bujold
European premiere

Der letzte Sommer der Reichen (The Last Summer of the Rich) 
Austria
By Peter Kern
With Amira Casar, Nicole Gerdon, Winfried Glatzeder
World premiere

Dora oder Die sexuellen Neurosen unserer Eltern (Dora or The Sexual Neuroses of Our Parents) 
Switzerland / Germany
By Stina Werenfels
With Victoria Schulz, Jenny Schily, Lars Eidinger, Urs Jucker
International premiere

Dyke Hard 
Sweden
By Bitte Andersson
With Alle Eriksson, Peggy Sands, M. Wågensjö, Iki Gonzales Magnusson, Lina Kurttila
International premiere

Gukje Shijang (Ode to My Father)
Republic of Korea
By JK Youn
with Hwang Jung-min, Kim Yunjin
International premiere

I Am Michael
USA
By Justin Kelly
With James Franco, Zachary Quinto, Emma Roberts
International premiere

Jun Zhong Le Yuan (Paradise in Service) 
Taiwan 
By Doze Niu Chen-Zer
With Ethan Juan, Wan Qian, Chen Jianbin, Chen Yi-Han
European premiere

Meurtre à Pacot (Murder in Pacot)
France / Haiti / Norway
By Raoul Peck
With Alex Descas, Ayo, Thibault Vinçon, Lovely Kermonde Fifi, Joy Olasunmibo Ogunmakin
European premiere

Mot Naturen (Out of Nature) 
Norway
By Ole Giæver, Marte Vold
With Ole Giæver, Marte Magnusdotter Solem, Rebekka Nystadbakk, Ellen Birgitte Winther, Sievert Giaever Solem
European premiere

Ned Rifle (Ned Rifle) 
USA
By Hal Hartley
With Liam Aiken, Martin Donovan, Aubrey Plaza, Parker Posey, Thomas Jay Ryan
European premiere

Panorama Dokumente

B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 
Germany
By Jörg A. Hoppe, Klaus Maeck, Heiko Lange
With Mark Reeder, Marius Weber
World premiere

Danieluv svet (Daniel’s World) 
Czeck Republic
By Veronika Liskova
International premiere

El hombre nuevo (The New Man) 
Uruguay / Chile
By Aldo Garay
World premiere

Fassbinder – lieben ohne zu fordern (Fassbinder – To Love without Demands) 
Denmark
By Christian Braad Thomsen
With Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Irm Hermann, Harry Baer, Lilo Pempeit
World premiere

Iraqi Odyssey 
Switzerland
By Samir
European premiere

Stories of Our Lives 
Kenya
By Jim Chuchu
With Kelly Gichohi, Paul Ogola, Tim Mutungi, Mugambi Nthinga, Rose Njenga
European premiere

The Yes Men Are Revolting 
USA
By Laura Nix, Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno
European premiere