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BERLINALE 2025 Generation

This year’s Berlinale Generation titles “wrest meaning from the world”

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- The line-up includes the new efforts by Michel Gondry and Robin Petré, plus intriguing debuts by Alissa Jung, Vasilis Kekatos and Brendan Canty, among others

This year’s Berlinale Generation titles “wrest meaning from the world”
Christy by Brendan Canty (© Sleepers Films/Wayward Films/Nite Owl Film & TV)

UPDATE (28 January 2025): The Generation section is rounded off by the debut by Chinese filmmaker Jing Yi, The Botanist.

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Today, the Berlinale announced the full programme of its Generation 14plus and Kplus strands. The German gathering will run from 13-23 February.

This year’s programme promises to “wrest meaning from the world” and offer a wide showcase of narrative forms, focusing on films that navigate the thresholds between personal introspection, collective experience and cinematic experimentation. While the selection includes works from around the globe, the European entries in the Generation Kplus and 14plus competitions stand out for their depth, creativity and cultural resonance.

Zooming in on the selected European entries, Christy by Brendan Canty opens the Generation 14plus competition with a poignant portrait of working-class life in Cork. The pic follows a teenage boy attempting to find his place amidst familial challenges, grounding its narrative in heartfelt community dynamics.

Meanwhile, Belgium delivers two entries. One of them is Têtes Brûlées by Maja Ajmia Yde Zellama, a feature exploring grief and creativity as a 12-year-old girl grapples with the loss of her brother, supported by his friends in their shared mourning (see the news). The second is the animated short The Mud Under My Window by Violette Delvoye, which merges French and Belgian talents to depict an intimate mother-daughter conflict.

Next, the Croatian-Slovenian-Lithuanian co-production Sandbag Dam [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Čejen Černić Čanak portrays a forbidden romance rekindled in a village threatened by floods, questioning love, family loyalty and the courage to make difficult choices.

German contributions to the programme include Alissa Jung’s coming-of-age drama Paternal Leave, starring Luca Marinelli and Juli Grabenhenrich among the lead actors; and the documentary Circusboy by Julia Lemke and Anna Koch, which blends animation and reality to capture the vibrant yet transient life of a young circus performer.

The prominent European entries also include Michel Gondry’s latest effort, Maya, Give Me a Title (already released in France in September) and Only on Earth by Robin Petré (From the Wild Sea [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Robin Petré
film profile
]
), as well as Our Wildest Days, the first feature by Vasilis Kekatos, winner of Cannes' Palme d'Or for Best Short Film for The Distance Between Us and the Sky.

Gondry’s pic is a stop-motion love letter to his daughter, bringing to life “a poetic and amusing journey that invites you to dream and laugh”. Meanwhile, Petré’s new doc is slated to be “a visually stunning journey into southern Galicia, one of the most wildfire-prone zones in Europe, where humans and animals alike are struggling to cope with the hottest, driest summer on record.” In his film, Kekatos follows Chloe, who leaves her family behind and joins a group of teenagers crossing Greece. On her journey, she helps poor people in unconventional ways and begins to wonder if tenderness is the ultimate act of rebellion.

“Especially to the young audiences that Generation cares about the most, the world today can be daunting, confusing and inhospitable. What we often find in this year’s programme are films that, in a wide variety of forms, understand cinema as a space of community, a place where people can come together and find meaning. These movies look at the world from new perspectives, remind us of the scope of our actions and agency, and stress the importance of imagination and fantasy as a source of empowerment,” comments section head Sebastian Markt.

Here is the full list of this year’s selected titles:

Generation Kplus

The Nature of Invisible ThingsRafaela Camelo (Brazil/Chile) (opening film)
Akababuru: Expression of Astonishment
Irati Dojura Landa Yagarí (Colombia) (short)
Maya, Give Me a TitleMichel Gondry (France)
On a Sunday at ElevenAlicia K Harris (Canada) (short)
The Botanist - Jing Yi (China)
JuanitaKaren Joaquín, Uliane Tatit (Spain) (short)
CircusboyJulia Lemke, Anna Koch (Germany)
White OchreMarlikka Perdrisat (Australia) (short)
Only on EarthRobin Petré (Denmark/Spain)
Little Rebels Cinema ClubKhozy Rizal (Indonesia) (short)
The ThiefChristoffer Rizvanovic Stenbakken (Denmark/Greenland) (short)
Space CadetEric San (Canada)
Ruse (Finte)Rhea Shukla (India) (short)
Tales From the Magic GardenDavid Súkup, Patrik Pašš, Leon Vidmar, Jean-Claude Rozec (Czech Republic/Slovakia/Slovenia)
AutokarSylwia Szkiłądź (Belgium/France) (short)
The LeapRoberto Tarazona (Cuba) (short)
Down in the DumpsVera van Wolferen (Netherlands) (short)
Ran Bi Wa (A Story about Fire)Li Wenyu (China)
Seaside SerendipitySatoko Yokohama (Japan)

Generation 14plus

Christy – Brendan Canty (UK/Ireland) (opening film)
Têtes Brûlées –
Maja Ajmia Yde Zellama (Belgium)
Underage –
Caru Alves de Souza (Brazil) (series)
Don't Wake the Sleeping Child –
Kevin Aubert (Senegal/France/Morocco) (short)
Wish You Were Ear
Mirjana Balogh (Hungary) (short)
Sandbag Dam [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
Čejen Černić Čanak (Croatia/Lithuania/Slovenia)
Village Rockstars 2 –
Rima Das (India/Singapore)
Barbed WireGustavo de Carvalho (Brazil) (short)
The Mud Under My WindowViolette Delvoye (France/Belgium) (short)
The Tale of Daye’s FamilyKarim El Shenawy (Egypt/Saudi Arabia)
FantasHalima Elkhatabi (Canada) (short)
SunshineAntoinette Jadaone (Philippines)
Julian and the Wind – Connor Jessup (Canada) (short)
Paternal Leave
Alissa Jung (Germany/Italy)
Our Wildest DaysVasilis Kekatos (Greece/France)
Wrong HusbandZacharias Kunuk (Canada)
HowlDomini Marshall (Australia) (short)
QuakerGiovanna Molina (USA) (short)
PlaytimeLucia Murat (Brazil)
Sunset over AmericaMatías Rojas Valencia (Brazil/Chile/Colombia) (short)
Beneath Which Rivers FlowAli Yahya (Iraq) (short)

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