The Match Factory unveils an ambitious slate of films at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival (12-22 February) and the accompanying European Film Market (EFM) (12-18 February), combining high-profile Competition entries with major market premieres and auteur-driven projects.

In the Berlinale Competition, four films stand out for their thematic range and strong directorial voices. Rosebush Pruning by Brazilian-Algerian filmmaker Karim Aïnouz (Cannes competition entries Motel Destino [+lee también:
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entrevista: Karim Aïnouz
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Also competing is Rose by Austrian filmmaker Markus Schleinzer (Cannes competition entry Michael [+lee también:
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US director Lance Hammer (Berlinale competition entry Ballast) returns to Berlin with Queen at Sea, a morally complex family drama starring Juliette Binoche and Tom Courtenay. The film centres on a painful ethical conflict surrounding end-of-life decisions and dementia, as a daughter and stepfather grapple with responsibility, autonomy and irreversible choices. The story unfolds as an intimate chamber piece whose emotional repercussions spiral beyond control.

Completing the Competition line-up is Home Stories by Eva Trobisch, following her acclaimed All Good [+lee también:
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entrevista: Eva Trobisch y Adrian Camp…
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Beyond the Competition, The Match Factory is presenting several high-profile titles at the EFM. A market premiere, Berlin Hero by the late Wolfgang Becker marks the final work of the director who was behind Good Bye, Lenin! [+lee también:
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ficha de la película]. Set around the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the film follows a struggling video-store owner who is mistakenly celebrated as a key figure in a historic mass escape from the GDR. The accidental hero, played by Charly Hübner, is swept into a web of media myths, romance and lies. The cast also includes Christiane Paul, Leonie Benesch and Daniel Brühl.

Another major market title, Projecto Global [+lee también:
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entrevista: Ivo M. Ferreira
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Q&A: Ivo M Ferreira
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Rounding off the slate is The Frog and the Water [+lee también:
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entrevista: Franz Rogowski
entrevista: Thomas Stuber
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