2008 Berlin Film Festival

[Precious Doll]

Thanks for the tip Rain Bard on the Derek Jarman documentary. I had no idea there was one and by Isaac Julien at that. I look forward to seeing it in the future.

[rain Bard]

Ballast was one of the best films I saw at Sundance. Yasukuni was one of the worst. I was under the impression that the Derek Jarman documentary Derek was playing at Berlin too. Being the next best thing to a Jarman ignoramus, it was probably my favorite documentary I saw at the festival this year, just because I learned so much from it. Maybe it's in another Berlinale section. I know that's a staggeringly huge festival.

[Precious Doll]

COMPETITION
The Elite Squad, Brazil, Jose Padilha
In Love We Trust, China, Wang Xiaoshuai
Black Ice, Finland-Germany, Petri Kotwica
I've Loved You So Long, France-Germany, Philippe Claudel
Julia, France, Erick Zonca
Lady Jane, France, Robert Guediguian
Blood Cherries, Germany, Doris Doerrie
Heart of Fire, Germany-Italy-Austria, Luigi Falorni
Sparrow, Hong Kong, Johnnie To
The Song of Sparrows, Iran, Majid Majidi
Restless, Israel-Germany-Canada-France-Belgium, Amos Kollek
Quiet Chaos, Italy, Antonello Grimaldi
Kabei: Our Mother, Japan, Yoji Yamada
Night and Day, South Korea, Hong Sang-soo
Lake Tahoe, Mexico, Fernando Eimbcke
Gardens of the Night, U.K.-U.S., Damian Harris
Happy-Go-Lucky, U.K., Mike Leigh
Ballast, U.S., Lance Hammer
Elegy, U.S., Isabel Coixet
S.O.P. Standard Operating Procedure, U.S., Errol Morris
There Will Be Blood, U.S., Paul Thomas Anderson

OUT OF COMPETITION
Katyn, Poland, Andrzej Wajda
Be Kind Rewind, U.S., Michel Gondry, CLOSER
Fireflies in the Garden, U.S., Dennis Lee
The Other Boleyn Girl, U.S.-U.K., Justin Chadwick
Shine a Light, U.S.-U.K., Martin Scorsese, OPENER

PANORAMA: SPECIAL
La rabia, Argentina, Albertina Carri
Revanche, Austria, Goetz Spielmann
What No One Knows, Denmark-Sweden, Soren Kragh-Jacobsen
The Feelings Factory, France-Belgium, Jean-Marc Moutout
Chiko, Germany, Ozgur Yildirim
Love and Other Crimes, Germany-Serbia-Austria-Slovenia, Stefan Arsenijevic
3 Women, Iran, Manijeh Hekmat
Lemon Tree, Israel-Germany-France, Eran Riklis
Sonetaula, Italy, Salvatore Mereu
Beautiful, South Korea, Juhn Jai-hong
Before Fall, Spain, Javier Gutierrez
Transsiberian, Spain-Germany-U.K.-Lithuania, Brad Anderson
Soul of a Demon, Taiwan, Chang Tso-chi
Filth and Wisdom, U.K., Madonna
Sleep Dealer, U.S.-Mexico, Alex Rivera

PANORAMA: MAIN PROGRAM
Another Love Story, Brazil-France-Uruguay, Lucia Murat
Everything Is Fine, Canada, Yves-Christian Fournier
The Fight, Canada, Anais Barbeau-Lavalette
The Aquarium, Egypt-France-Germany, Yousry Nasrallah
Guilty, France, Laetitia Masson
Otto, or Up With Dead People, Germany-Canada, Bruce LaBruce
The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela, Iceland, Olaf de Fleur Johannesson
Woman's Hearts, Italy-Morocco, Kiff Kosoof
First Love, Japan, Koichi Imaizumi
Glasses, Japan, Naoko Ogigami
I Am From Titov Veles, Macedonia, Teona Strugar Mitevska
Mermaid, Russia, Anna Melikyan
Jerusalema, South Africa, Ralph Ziman
Shiver, Spain, Isidro Ortiz
Drifting Flowers, Taiwan, Zero Chou
Boy A, U.K., John Crowley
Dream Boy, U.S., James Bolton

FORUM
Corroboree, Australia, Ben Hackworth
Son of a Lion, Australia-Pakistan, Benjamin Gilmour
Loos ornamental, Austria-Germany, Heinz Emigholz
Corridor #8, Bulgaria, Boris Despodov
My Winnipeg, Canada, Guy Maddin
Sweet Food City, China, Gao Wendong
The Path, Costa Rica-France, Ishtar Yasin Gutierrez
Ain't Scared, France, Audrey Estrougo
Just Anybody, France-Belgium, Jacques Doillon
Mafrouza/Heart, France-Egypt, Emmanuelle Demoris
Victoire Terminus, Kinshasa, France-Congo, Florent de la Tullaye, Renaud Barret
Nacht vor Augen, Germany, Brigitte Bertele
Correction, Greece, Thanos Anastopoulos
Paruthiveeran, India, Ameer Sulthan
Seaview, Ireland, Paul Rowley, Nicky Gogan
Brides of Allah, Israel, Natalie Assouline
Motherland, Italy, Nello La Marca
Flipping Out, Israel-Canada, Yoav Shamir
Asyl: Park and Love Hotel, Japan, Izuru Kumasaka
Higurashi, Japan, Hiromasa Hirosue
United Red Army, Japan, Koji Wakamatsu
What the Heart Craves, Japan, Izumi Takahashi
Yasukuni, Japan-China, Li Ying
Grandmother's Flower, S. Korea, Mun Jeong-hyun
The Infinite Border, Mexico, Juan Manuel Sepulveda
Balikbayan Box, Philippines-Netherlands-Switzerland, Mes De Guzman
Slingshot, Philippines, Brillante Ma. Mendoza
Tribu, Philippines, Jim Libiran
Nirvana, Russia, Igor Voloshin
Invisible City, Singapore, Tan Pin-pin
Leo, Sweden, Josef Fares
God Man Dog, Taiwan, Singing Chen
Summer Book, Turkey, Seyfi Teoman
Divizionz, Uganda-S. Africa, Yes! That's Us
Be Like Others, U.S.-Canada-Iran, Tanaz Eshaghian
Green Porno, U.S., Isabella Rossellini, Jody Shapiro
South Main, U.S., Kelly Parker

GENERATION 14plus
The Black Balloon, Australia, Elissa Down
September, Australia, Peter Carstairs
Ben X, Belgium-Netherlands, Nic Balthazar
City of Men, Brazil, Paulo Morelli
Fighter, Denmark, Natasha Arthy
Worlds Apart, Denmark, Niels Arden Oplev
Love, Peace & Beatbox, Germany, Volker Meyer-Dabisch
32A, Ireland-Germany, Marian Quinn
Dunya & Desie, Netherlands-Belgium, Dana Nechushtan
Ciao bella, Sweden, Mani Maserrat-Agah
Somers Town, U.K., Shane Meadows
Liberation Day, U.S., Lee Isaac Chung
Sita Sings the Blues, U.S., Nina Paley
War Child, U.S., Christian Karim Chrobog

GENERATION Kplus
Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger, Australia, Cathy Randall
Mutum, Brazil-France, Sandra Kogut
A Tale of Two Mozzies, Denmark, Jannik Hastrup, Flemming Quist-Moller
Go West! A Lucky Luke Adventure, France, Olivier Jean-Marie
Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame, Iran-France, Hana Makhmalbaf
Kung Fu Kid, Japan, Issei Oda
Flower in the Pocket, Malaysia, Liew Seng-tat
Where Is Winky's Horse?, Netherlands, Mischa Kamp
The Ten Lives of Titanic the Cat, Norway, Grethe Boe
Chop Shop, U.S., Ramin Bahrani

BERLIN INTL. JURY
Costa-Gavras, filmmaker (France), president
Susanne Bier, filmmaker (Denmark)
Sandrine Bonnaire, actress (France)
Uli Hanisch, production designer (Germany)
Diane Kruger, actress (Germany)
Walter Murch, editor / sound designer (U.S.)
Alexander Rodniansky, producer (Russia)
Shu Qi, actress (Taiwan)