The members of Cine-Regio are celebrating the fact that the total number of 26 feature films and five short films supported by them are part of this year’s Berlinale’s official selection. Six of those 26 are selected in the official competition for the Golden Bear: Andreas Dresen’s As We Were Dreaming [+leggi anche:
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Q&A: Andreas Dresen
scheda film], Laura Bispuri’s Sworn Virgin [+leggi anche:
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Q&A: Laura Bispuri
scheda film], Benoît Jacquot’s Diary of a Chambermaid [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], Jayro Bustamante’s Ixcanul Volcano [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Jayro Bustamante
scheda film], Isabel Coixet’s Nobody Wants the Night [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Isabel Coixet
scheda film] and Patricio Guzmán’s The Pearl Button [+leggi anche:
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scheda film]. Other films, such as Wim Wenders’ Every Thing Will Be Fine [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] and Oliver Hirschbiegel’s 13 Minutes [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] (out of competition), Stina Werenfels’ Dora or the Sexual Neuroses of Our Parents [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Stina Werenfels
scheda film] (Panorama) and Sonja Heiss’ Hedi Schneider Is Stuck [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Sonja Heiss
scheda film] (Forum), have also been backed by regional film funds that are members of the network.

But at the same time, the members of Cine-Regio are worried about the future, owing to the ongoing EU-US free trade (TTIP) negotiations, where the American delegation has expressed a strong desire to put pressure on our national and local officials in an attempt to remove the cultural exception, and to flush Europe with US mainstream culture – covering everything from films to food. In order to succeed, the US lobbyists are therefore working hard for an annulment of the exceptions that protect regional diversity and identity in Europe. 

The cultural exception is our anchor to the history we are built on, and is rooted in our regional diversity and identity. It has never been challenged in EU policy-making before. Will this tradition change in 2015? At their meeting in Berlin today, the members of Cine-Regio decided to strengthen their efforts to raise awareness of the danger of Europe losing its identity. 

Find more information about Cine-Regio’s activities on their website.