The Match Factory fait reposer ses espoirs berlinois sur Dreams de Michel Franco et Mother’s Baby de Johanna Moder
- Le line-up du distributeur à l'international allemand est complété par Paternal Leave d'Alissa Jung, All That’s Left of You de Charlene Dabis et Magic Farm d'Amalia Ulman

Cet article est disponible en anglais.
The Match Factory is about to whip out five aces at the imminent edition of the Berlinale, running this year from 13-23 February. The German sales agent is pinning its hopes on two competition titles. The first is Michel Franco’s Dreams (Mexico), which marks the helmer’s second collaboration with Academy Award-winning actress Jessica Chastain. The story zooms in on Fernando (Isaac Hernández), a young ballet dancer from Mexico, who dreams of international recognition and a life in the USA. Believing his lover, Jennifer (Chastain), a socialite and philanthropist, will support him, he leaves everything behind – narrowly escaping death in the process. However, his arrival disrupts Jennifer’s carefully curated world. She will do anything to protect both of their futures and the life she has built.
The second film is Johanna Moder’s Mother’s Baby, a European co-production involving Austria, Switzerland and Germany. The psychological thriller penned by the Austrian writer-director (Once Were Rebels) stars Marie Leuenberger. The plot follows a 40-year-old woman called Julia, a successful conductor, and her partner Georg. They have been longing for a child, and Dr Vilfort finally offers them hope. Julia becomes pregnant after a successful treatment at the fertility doctor’s clinic. But the birth does not go as planned, and the baby is immediately taken away, leaving Julia in the dark about what has happened. When she is finally reunited with the child, Julia feels strangely distant and begins to doubt whether it is really hers. The cast is rounded off by Hans Löw, Claes Bang and Julia Franz Richter.
The third title in this year’s Berlin line-up is the Panorama-bound Magic Farm, directed by Amalia Ulman (El Planeta [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Amalia Ulman
fiche film], nominated for two Gotham Awards). The US-Argentinian pic, starring Chloë Sevigny, Alex Wolff, Joe Apollonio, Camila del Campo and Simon Rex, centres on a film crew working for an edgy media company, who travel to Argentina to profile a local musician. However, their ineptitude leads them to the wrong country. As the crew collaborates with locals, unexpected connections blossom while a pervasive health crisis looms unacknowledged in the background.
Fourth in line is another European production, writer-director and actress Alissa Jung’s debut, Paternal Leave (Germany/Italy), starring Volpi Cup winner Luca Marinelli alongside Juli Grabenhenrich, Arturo Gabbriellini, Joy Falletti Cardillo and Gaia Rinaldi. In it, an angry and lonely teenager travels to the coast of northern Italy to meet her biological father. Their encounter is fraught with questions, longing and conflict, as they strive for acceptance, love and honesty.
Finally, the fifth title is Emmy-nominated producer-director Cherien Dabis’ third feature, All That’s Left of You [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Cherien Dabis
fiche film], staged by German and Cypriot producers. The plot follows a Palestinian teen who confronts Israeli soldiers at a West Bank protest, as his mother recounts the series of events leading up to that fateful moment, beginning with his grandfather's forced displacement. Dabis herself stars alongside Saleh Bakri, Adam Bakri, Mohammad Bakri, Maria Zreik and Muhammad Abed Elrahman. Set to world-premiere at Sundance, the pic will be presented to potential buyers at the European Film Market, unspooling from 13-19 February.
(Traduit de l'anglais)
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