mk2 Films’ international sales team, led by Fionnuala Jamison, is getting ready for a very intense European Film Market (13 to 19 February) at the 75th Berlinale, where it will be counting on a film in competition amongst others, which hadn’t been the case since 2022 (and the victory of Alcarràs [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Carla Simón
intervista: Carla Simón
intervista: Giovanni Pompili
scheda film]).

In competition for the 2025 Golden Bear, The Safe House [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Lionel Baier
scheda film] by Swiss filmmaker Lionel Baier, who reaches the top shelf of a great festival for the first time, stands out. The filmmaker isn’t a complete unknown however, since he already went to the Berlinale with Shock Waves - First Name: Mathieu [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] in Panorama in 2018, but also in Cannes with Continental Drift (South) [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Lionel Baier
scheda film] in Directors’ Fortnight in 2022 and with Vanity [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Lionel Baier
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intervista: Lionel Baier
scheda film] and on the Piazza Grande in 2013 and 2015 with Longwave [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Lionel Baier
festival scope
scheda film] as well as Vanity. Starring Dominique Reymond, the late Michel Blanc, William Lebghil, Aurélien Gabrielli, Liliane Rovère, Ethan Chimienti, Larisa Faber, Adrien Barazzone, Gilles Privat and Louise Chevillotte, The Safe House is an adaptation of the eponymous novel by Christophe Boltanski. Written by the filmmaker and Catherine Charrier, the script takes us to Paris in May 1968. A 9-year-old boy is very happy to be spending a few more days with his grand-parents in their immovable apartment, joined by his two lively uncles (a visual artist and a budding intellectual) and his colourful great-grand-mother from Odessa, while his parents take part in the historical protests. While the country is in upheaval, the family is forced to face the past when an illustrious guest looks to hide with them… The Safe House was produced by Bande à Part Films (Switzerland), and co-produced by RTS and SRG SSR, Red Lion (Luxembourg) and Les Films du Poisson (France). French distribution will be handled by Les Films du Losange on 19 March.

mk2 Films’ lineup includes other films in official competition, in the Berlinale Special section, such as All I Had Was Nothingness [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Guillaume Ribot (Great Prize at 2023 FIPADOC with Seeds of Hunger – Ukraine 1933) who revisited the 220 hours of rushes from Claude Lanzmann’s Shoah whose original version (released 40 years ago) will also be screened in Berlin. Produced by Les Films du Poisson and Les Films Aleph, Guillaume Ribot’s documentary shines a light on Lanzmann’s endless quest to tell the story, using only Lanzmann’s words and exclusive footage. British production The Thing with Feathers [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Dylan Southern (unveiled at the Sundance Film Festival in the Premieres section) is also in the lineup.

At the EFM, mk2 Films will also organise market screenings for Sukkwan Island [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Vladimir de Fontenay (which just had its world premiere in competition in Sundance) and for The Vanishing [+leggi anche:
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Amongst films in post-production that are aiming for upcoming big festivals are Sentimental Value [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Joachim Trier
scheda film] by Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier, The Secret Agent [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho, Enzo [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Robin Campillo
scheda film] from French filmmaker Robin Campillo and La petite dernière [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Hafsia Herzi
scheda film] by his compatriot Hafsia Herzi.

The lineup also includes some animated films, with A Winter’s Journey by British filmmaker Alex Helfrecht (produced by Germany, France, Poland, the UK and Belgium) which should be completed this year, and the French-Belgian-Luxembourgish animated feature in the making Allah Is Not Obliged [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by French filmmaker with Lebanese origins Zaven Najjar (adapted from the eponymous novel by Ahmadou Kourouma).

Let us not forget four american productions: Late Fame by Kent Jones (starring Willem Dafoe and Greta Lee) in production, and the sci-fi comedy Alpha Gang by David and Nathan Zellner (starring Cate Blanchett, Channing Tatum, Dave Bautista, Zoê Kravitz, Steven Yeun, Léa Seydoux and Riley Keough) in pre-production, Belly of the Beast by British filmmaker Andrew Haigh (with Ben Stiller and Colin Farrell), and Peaches by Hong Kong director Jenny Suen (starring Emma Corrin and Lucie Zhang).