Syrian migrant drama opens Berlin film festival
German director Tom Tykwer will open the Berlin film festival Thursday with a drama about a Syrian housekeeper, in the midst of a national election campaign that has been dominated by a bitter migration debate.
"The Light", showing out of competition at the 75th edition of the festival, tells the story of a middle-class Berlin family whose lives are upended when they hire a new domestic worker.
The movie marks a return to feature filmmaking after a long hiatus for Tykwer, 59, who has been focusing on the acclaimed Netflix series "Babylon Berlin".
The Berlinale, as the festival is known, winds up on February 23 -- the same day as Germany's snap election, called after the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's ruling coalition late last year.
With the far-right, anti-immigration AfD party surging in the polls, migration has been high on the campaign agenda in the run-up to the hotly contested vote.
The Berlinale, which ranks with Cannes and Venice among Europe's top festivals, serves as a key launchpad for films from around the world.
US writer and director Todd Haynes will head up the jury at this year's edition, with 19 pictures vying for the festival's Golden Bear top prize.
They include "Blue Moon", Hollywood director Richard Linklater's latest movie, starring Ethan Hawke, 11 years after Linklater won Berlin's Silver Bear for Best Director for "Boyhood".
- 'Beauty and joy' -
South Korean director Bong Joon-ho will present his new film "Mickey 17" with Robert Pattinson out of competition, while British actor Tilda Swinton will receive a lifetime achievement award.
Jessica Chastain and Timothee Chalamet are also expected to grace the red carpet.
Opening film "The Light", with a mostly German cast, tells the story of a complex modern family living in a Berlin apartment.
When the enigmatic Farrah -– recently arrived from Syria –- is placed in their home as the new housekeeper, the Engels family find themselves questioning their way of life and hidden feelings come to light.
"Tom Tykwer finds beauty and joy in our often fractured and challenging world, and magically captures the essence of our modern life on screen," Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle said of the film.
The mass arrival of Syrian refugees and other migrants in Germany in 2015-2016 has helped fuel support for the AfD, which is forecast to emerge as one of the biggest parties in Germany's election.
Last year, Berlinale organisers made headlines by barring five previously invited AfD politicians and telling them they were "not welcome".
- Arthouse favourite -
Tuttle, who took over as director of the Berlinale in April last year, said that despite the political themes of the opening film, she wanted to keep the festival as "insulated" from the news as possible.
"The festival wants to not have that overshadow the films and filmmakers," Tuttle said in an interview with AFP.
"I really want people talking about cinema. The news agenda has dominated every cultural event all over the world, particularly music... Filmmakers look at how troubled the world is and reflect that back to us," she said.
"I would love to have the films do the talking because I think that films can communicate with a complexity that we often lose in words."
Other films in competition at the Berlinale include "Dreams", from Mexican director Michael Franco, about a Mexican ballet dancer, and "What Does that Nature Say to You", from South Korean arthouse favourite Hong Sang-soo.
Romanian director Radu Jude, who won the Golden Bear in 2021 with "Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn", is in the running with "Kontinental '25", a dark comedy about the rise of nationalism.
And France's Lucile Hadzihalilovic will present "The Ice Tower", a fantasy drama starring Marion Cotillard.
fec/adp/jhb
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hamilton Spectator
43 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Standup comedy star Jim Jefferies takes the stage at Casino Rama this weekend. Here's who will be appearing this month
Casino Rama has lineup of popular acts slated for its entertainment centre for the rest of the month. The casino, located just outside of Orillia, is known for bringing in big name musicians and comedians. The Australian actor and comedian, known for his thought-provoking comedy brings his Son of a Carpenter tour to the casino on June 14. Doors open at 7 p.m., with showtime set for 8 p.m. Jefferies has produced a number of specials for Netflix, the television show 'Legit' and the 'Jim Jefferies show' on Comedy Central. A pioneer of country's modern rock and rap genre, Gilbert will take the stage on The Tattoos Tour on June 21. Doors open at 7 p.m., showtime is 8 p.m. Gilbert is a popular act with more than eight billion streams and seven number 1 hits including 'Bottoms Up,' 'Country Must Be Country Wide,' and 'You Don't Know Her Like I Do.' With more than 41 million albums sold over 50 years, the Oak Ridge Boys are bringing their farewell tour to Rama on June 27. Doors open at 8 p.m., showtime is 9 p.m. Comprised of Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden, and Richard Sterban, the group has five Grammy awards and is an inductee in the Country Music Hall of Fame. The Canadian music legend will be taking the stage on June 28. Doors open at 7 p.m., showtime is 8 p.m. Whether it's part of The Guess Who or as a solo act, Cummings has had a career spanning more than 60 years with 80 platinum and gold records. He's left his mark with a host of hit songs including 'These Eyes,' 'American Woman' and 'No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature.' Boy bands are back on June 29. Doors open at 7 p.m., showtime is 8 p.m. This show will feature some of the top acts from the early 2000s including Chris Kirkpatrick of NSYNC, O-Town, Ryan Cabrera and LFO performing some of their top hits. For more information or tickets visit: .

an hour ago
'Pretty Little Baby' singer Connie Francis joins TikTok thanks to viral success
Legendary singer Connie Francis, who sings "Pretty Little Baby," has joined TikTok following the song's viral success. Since being featured on TikTok, the 1962 song has been used in more than 17 million videos, totaling more than 27 billion views globally on the app. To celebrate, Francis, 87, joined TikTok and shared a video over the weekend, in which she thanked her fans. "I'm flabbergasted and excited about the huge buzz my 1962 recording of 'Pretty Little Baby' is making all over the world," she said. "To think that a song I recorded 63 years ago is captivating new generations of audiences is truly overwhelming for me." "Thank you, TikTok," she added. In the caption of the post, she wrote, "My thanks to you all for the huge reception you have given to 'Pretty Little Baby'. I am delighted to join the TikTok Community and share this moment with you." "Pretty Little Baby" was released on Francis' 1962 album, "Connie Francis Sings 'Second Hand Love' & Other Hits," which peaked at No. 111 on the Billboard Top LPs chart. In May this year, "Pretty Little Baby" broke into Spotify's Global and U.S. charts for the first time. Tracy Gardner, TikTok's global head of music business development, said in a statement shared in a press release that the recent viral success of "Pretty Little Baby" is an "example of the power of music discovery on TikTok." "Thanks to the TikTok community, this little-known track from the 1960s has been given a new lease of life, and has introduced Connie Francis and her incredible legacy to a whole new audience, both on and off the platform," Gardner added. Since its newfound fame, the song has been remixed by German dance duo Lizot. The song is also available digitally for the first time in French, German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish. It was previously available in Japanese. Francis was also presented with a plaque by Bruce Resnikoff, president and CEO at Universal Music Enterprises, the global catalog division of Universal Music Group, recognizing her and celebrating her music moment. The song, which includes the infectious lyrics, "You can ask the flowers / I sit for hours / Telling all the bluebirds / The bill and coo birds / Pretty little baby, I'm so in love with you," has been used by creators on TikTok including, Kim Kardashian and North West, Kylie Jenner, Ariana Greenblatt and more.


Cosmopolitan
an hour ago
- Cosmopolitan
'The way Ginny & Georgia season 3 explores Marcus's depression is the most accurate depiction on TV right now'
Ginny & Georgia may initially have presented itself as an off-beat, OTT teen drama, but these labels haven't stopped the Netflix series from digging deep into more serious issues. The third season is certainly no exception; the show's latest outing has seen a frank and vital discussion about abortion, as well as a thoughtful exploration about PCOS and periods. However, perhaps the most poignant storyline in the third outing of Ginny & Georgia is Marcus's ongoing battle with depression, and the seismic impact it has on those around him. The series has openly navigated mental health issues before; season two saw Ginny grappling with self-harm, and agreeing to see a counsellor to get help – but Marcus's deep descent into a severe depression this season is particularly powerful. In order to cope with his worsening mental health, Marcus begins to self-medicate and turns to alcohol in an attempt to quieten the loudening voices in his head. Things spiral so badly, the series finale sees him being driven to rehab. It's an incredibly realistic look at depression – and makes it all the more important that we see Marcus (exceptionally portrayed by Felix Mallard) battling through it. We see him drinking excessively, distancing himself from his friends and loved ones, having emotional outbursts and spending increasing amounts of time in his room alone. While there's been a lot of focus in the media about the worsening mental health of young girls and women (and rightly so), boys and men are also experiencing a worrying rise in mental health disorders. Data from NHS England found that 22.3% of boys aged between eight and 16 have a probable mental health disorder. Suicide is also the primary cause of death in men under 50 in the UK. There have also been increasing pushes and more awareness to talk about our mental states, but patriarchal structures have still led many boys and men to shy away from discussing their feelings. A lack of openness may be what is causing some young men to find darker avenues online in order to get some answers or reassurances (and falling foul of the manosphere in the process of doing so). Marcus is a welcome foil to that, with the series showing the truly destructive nature of depression and the impact it can cultivate on our loved ones. The newest season only builds upon previous outings, where we saw Marcus speak openly about his mental state: 'When it hits you fully though, when you're really in it, it's everything. It's who you are, you're nothing else,' he said in season two. 'On the outside, you look the same; smiling and pretending is so much work, but inside, it's a different story. You start to hate yourself. You're so alone, so unbelievably alone.' It's a real and raw observation of an illness, without pandering to its young audience. While the storyline has been praised by fans of the series online, there are still a worrying amount of viewers who are either ignorant or willingly misunderstand what depression is. One TikTok, that has garnered over 22,000 likes, saw the poster ask: 'I'm sorry but I can't be the only one who did not understand why Marcus was depressed in the first place.' Despite huge pushes for there to be greater understanding about mental illness, few people seem to truly grasp that depression is not necessarily circumstantial. Regardless of Marcus's privilege of having a loving family and a roof over his head, depression does not discriminate. You can live a perfect, happy and frankly gilded life, and still feel a shadow darkening over you – for no reason at all. Your guilt for not feeling the way you should, can only emphasise this feeling of depression. Ginny & Georgia also deserves praise on how depression can eat away at those caring for you. We see this through Max, who cares deeply for her twin brother. While she tries to cover her concern with her naturally vivacious personality, and using her own happiness as a way to elevate depressed Marcus, we see her beaten down and exhausted by the end of season three, with some of her core relationships in tatters. While the third season of Ginny & Georgia ends on a hopeful note, with Ginny's poem reassuring Marcus that he's not on his own, it's important that the series emphasises that their relationship is not the most important factor in Marcus's road to recovery – rather, he needs to mend the relationship he has with himself. By showing its young audience the reality of this illness, perhaps we can finally start to truly understand all the different ways depression can appear, and also the way in which it doesn't discriminate. Kimberley Bond is a Multiplatform Writer for Harper's Bazaar, focusing on the arts, culture, careers and lifestyle. She previously worked as a Features Writer for Cosmopolitan UK, and has bylines at The Telegraph, The Independent and British Vogue among countless others.