Berlinale 2017
by iamlookingformylife | created - 13 Feb 2017 | updated - 26 Feb 2017 | PublicA list of films I saw at the 67th Berlin Film Festival in 2017, all from the Generation section, meaning films for kids and teens under 18: the greatest section of Berlinale and a revelation for both a young and old audience. Listed from Best to Worst, Short Films can be found at the bottom.
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1. Freak Show (2017)
Not Rated | 91 min | Comedy, Drama
Follows the story of teenager Billy Bloom who, despite attending an ultra conservative high school, makes the decision to run for homecoming queen.
Director: Trudie Styler | Stars: Alex Lawther, Ian Nelson, AnnaSophia Robb, Celia Weston
Votes: 4,561 | Gross: $0.02M
Breathtaking - left me elated and with a bunch of hopeful feelings! Positive queer movies are needed and as far as I can judge, this is a wonderful one! Fantastic acting by Alex Lawther and incredible costumes make this movie an absolute piece of art. Watch this, and take a friend and get yourself a shot of that hope we are all thirsting for! 10/10
2. Summer 1993 (2017)
97 min | Drama, Family
After her mother's death, six-year-old Frida is sent to her uncle's family to live with them in the countryside. But Frida finds it hard to forget her mother and adapt to her new life.
Director: Carla Simón | Stars: Laia Artigas, Paula Robles, Bruna Cusí, David Verdaguer
Votes: 8,464 | Gross: $0.18M
Simply incredible. The actors work so naturally together that it was a joy to watch. A heartbreaking but wonderful story about a small girl who tries to find her way out of loss and into a new family. Incredible cinematography and a great piece of film! The last scene has been carved into my heart and won't be forgotten anytime soon. 10/10 and absolutely recommended!
3. The Inland Road (2017)
TV-14 | 80 min | Drama
After surviving a fatal car crash, teenage runaway Tia moves in with the strangers involved in the accident, threatening the family's delicate balance.
Director: Jackie van Beek | Stars: David Elliot, Chelsie Preston Crayford, Jodie Hillock, Gloria Popata
Votes: 156
A simply wonderful movie. Beautiful pictures, natural acting and wonderful character dynamics make this movie into a favourite! 10/10
4. The Foolish Bird (2017)
118 min | Drama
A 16 year-old high-school student is left behind by her parents and longing for love. She steals cellphones and sells them to men she doesn't know. As she takes risks, she has her first sexual experience - a cruel one.
Directors: Ji Huang, Ryûji Otsuka | Stars: Yao Fang, Xiao Liqiao, Honggui Yao
Votes: 211
Absolutely brilliant, while heartbreaking, and so very important! These are the stories that need to be told and this movie does it in a silent but strong way. Great pictures, strong performances and highly recommended: 9/10.
5. The Erlprince (2016)
101 min | Drama
The tale of an extraordinarily gifted young man and his ambitious and wondrous mother.
Director: Kuba Czekaj | Stars: Stanislaw Cywka, Agnieszka Podsiadlik, Sebastian Lach, Bernhard Schütz
Votes: 155
A masterpiece with minimal lacks in the story. Great combination of music, sound, the poem and pictures, with a talented main actor. Would absolutely recommend watching this one! 9/10
6. Little Harbour (2017)
90 min | Drama, Family
Kristian is a fragile 8-year-old boy. He meets 10-year old Jarka who lives in the same housing. Pushed by her desire to form a family, Jarka creates one with Kristian when she finds herself giving shelter to two abandoned twin babies.
Director: Iveta Grofova | Stars: Vanessa Szamuhelova, Matus Bacisin, Katarina Kamencova, Johana Tesarová
Votes: 243
Sweet story, stunning cinematography and a strong young girl. I watched this one twice and am completely satisfied with it. A great movie for children and wonderfully done! Only 9/10 because I didn't like it that much the first time around, but truly a fantastic movie!
7. Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves (2016)
183 min | Drama
A group of young people in Québec resolve to form a revolutionary cell together in the aftermath of student protests.
Directors: Mathieu Denis, Simon Lavoie | Stars: Charlotte Aubin, Laurent Bélanger, Emmanuelle Lussier Martinez, Gabrielle Boulianne-Tremblay
Votes: 433
This movie left me completely torn: I loved it but I hated it. It's radical and unforgiving but moves with such a force that it affects you deeply. A cinematography so beautiful - this movie is an experiment of filmographic instruments but doesn't overload it. Breathtaking pictures and amazing performances mixed with sound and text. I might have hated it while watching but I love it now, even though I wouldn't watch it again. 9/10 for this piece of art.
8. Weirdos (2016)
Not Rated | 85 min | Drama
Just after the end of the Vietnam War and in the midst of the American bicentennial celebrations of 1976, runaway Kit and his girlfriend Alice hitchhike their way along the east coast of Canada.
Director: Bruce McDonald | Stars: Dylan Authors, Julia Sarah Stone, Molly Parker, Allan Hawco
Votes: 561
The most beautiful pictures, what a fantastic cinematography - together with the great performances from the two main actors, this is a truly wonderful film. However the story wasn't quite that interesting and could have been more carefully crafted. 8/10
9. Don't Swallow My Heart, Alligator Girl! (2017)
106 min | Drama
Joca, a Brazilian boy of 13, and Basano La Tatuada a Paraguayan indigenous girl living on the border between the two countries, marked by the waters of the Rio Apa. Joca is in love with Basano and wants to do everything to win her love.
Director: Felipe Bragança | Stars: Cauã Reymond, Eduardo Macedo, Adeli Gonzales, Marco Loris
Votes: 210
A cinematography to die for! Somehow mixes elements of theater (in the acting) with elements of film, which makes it quite interesting. Also tells a story of struggles Native Brazilians face: This was not perfectly done from my point of view, since it mainly showed the white people's life, but the incredible speech of one of the Native actresses afterwards left me content and inspired - their stories need to be told! 8/10
10. On the Road (II) (2016)
121 min | Drama
An intimate look at life on the road for the band Wolf Alice as they tour Great Britain.
Director: Michael Winterbottom | Stars: Shirley Henderson, Paul Popplewell, James McArdle, Leah Harvey
Votes: 244
Incredible documentary that includes a fictional story: alone the combination is interesting but blends perfectly! Great pictures, good music, a very good movie. 8/10
11. Butterfly Kisses (II) (2017)
89 min | Drama
We follow Jake and his two best friends through a world distorted by sex and porn. They all have their own demons, but Jake's secret is one that he can't tell anyone.
Director: Rafael Kapelinski | Stars: Ella-Rae Smith, Elliot Cowan, Rosie Day, Thomas Turgoose
Votes: 885
Left me quite conflicted, but overall a really good movie. It's unforgiving and a bit disturbing at times, but work around an interesting music choice and great pictures. 8/10
12. Up in the Sky (2016)
82 min | Comedy, Family, Sci-Fi
Pottan is going to a riding camp, but ends up at a recycling center where she is taken care of by the strange staff. One day Pottan finds out that the staff are building a space rocket.
Director: Petter Lennstrand | Stars: Mira Forsell, Adam Lundgren, Gustav Funck, Petter Lennstrand
Votes: 212
A fantastic movie for children! Simply fun and a joy to watch! 8/10
13. Red Dog: True Blue (2016)
Not Rated | 88 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
An iconic Australian story of family, friendship and adventure, between a young boy and a scrappy one-of-a-kind dog that would grow up to become an Australian legend.
Director: Kriv Stenders | Stars: Jason Isaacs, Levi Miller, Bryan Brown, Hanna Mangan Lawrence
Votes: 2,409
Mostly a fun film, nothing spectacular in cinematography/sound etc. A great story that brings the right amount of emotions and is just enjoyable to watch. I know little about Aboriginal people so I don't know if the movie treats them completely respectfully in the film and that's not for me to decide. 7/10 for a being a joy to watch!
14. Mulher do Pai (2016)
94 min | Drama
Nalu lives with Ruben, her father, in a small country town near the Brazilian border with Uruguay. When Ruben realizes that his daughter is becoming a woman, an ambiguous closeness begins to develop between them.
Director: Cristiane Oliveira | Stars: Maria Galant, Marat Descartes, Verónica Perrotta, Áurea Baptista
Votes: 163
I had high expectations on this movie, maybe too high. An interesting cinematography, a strong young girl, but didn't really leave a mark on me. 7/10 for it's delicateness.
15. Mountain Miracle (2017)
97 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
A girl struggling with asthma is taken to a clinic in South Tyrol to be cured. After some time she decides to get out of this hell (that's how she feels about it) and soon she meets a new ... See full summary »
Director: Tobias Wiemann | Stars: Mia Kasalo, Samuel Girardi, Susanne Bormann, Denis Moschitto
Votes: 458
This is a good movie, but nothing special. A nice story, an important topic - a good mix of drama and joy and absolutely recommended to teens! 6/10
16. Two Irenes (2017)
Not Rated | 89 min | Drama
In the shimmering heat of Brazil, 13-year-old Irene discovers a dark secret her father's been hiding: he has another family and even another daughter with the same name.
Director: Fabio Meira | Stars: Priscila Bittencourt, Isabela Torres, Marco Ricca, Susana Ribeiro
Votes: 834
The story lacks. The cinematography was beautiful but I just couldn't get into the story, even though I liked the main character! 5/10
17. Emo: The Musical (2016)
TV-14 | 94 min | Comedy, Music, Musical
Ethan, a sullen high-school student whose life is defined by what he hates, finds love with a blindly optimistic Christian girl Trinity, much to the annoyance of his angst-filled band mates and her evangelistic brethren.
Director: Neil Triffett | Stars: Benson Jack Anthony, Jordan Hare, Rahart Adams, Jon Prasida
Votes: 1,559
Not really my type of movie, though it delivered a few enjoyable songs. Mostly a High School movie. I personally did not like the way the story handled mental illness, it just struck me the wrong way. Otherwise a fun movie, just not my thing. 5/10.
18. My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea (2016)
PG-13 | 75 min | Animation, Action, Comedy
An earthquake causes a high school to float into the sea, where it slowly sinks like a shipwreck.
Director: Dash Shaw | Stars: Jason Schwartzman, Reggie Watts, Adam Lustick, Alex Karpovsky
Votes: 1,245 | Gross: $0.07M
This movie gets one point for creativity and one point for Lunch Lady Lorraine. The story is stupid and barely watchable. I was quite happy to explore the different animation types, but I would never watch it again. 2/10
19. Aaba (2017)
22 min | Short, Drama, Family
Aaba(grandfather) is set in a remote village of Arunachal Pradesh in North East India. An orphan girl staying with her grandparents comes across the news of her grandfather being in the ... See full summary »
Director: Amar Kaushik | Stars: Dani Chunya, Johram Khopey, Dani Randa, Dani Sunku
Votes: 36
In breathtaking pictures this movie tells a quiet story with barely an words but is in itself wonderful and delicate! 9/10
20. My Gay Sister (2017)
15 min | Short, Drama
10-year old Cleo joins her lesbian sister Gabbi and her girlfriend to her summerhouse. In the center of attention is the biggest question: Who is Cleo in love with, is it a girl or is it a boy?
Director: Lia Hietala | Stars: Erika Coleman, Tina Pour Davoy, Tina Pourdavoy, Juliette Safavi
Votes: 35
Quiet delicately approaches the first tries of a young girl trying to discover who she loves. Beautifully shot and naturally acted, this movie doesn't simply opens a question, without having to answer it. Beautiful and charming: 8/10.
21. The Catch (I) (2017)
14 min | Short, Drama, Family
The Catch is about a tough young girl named Morgan who loves fly fishing in the river near her home. She also likes boys. But boys don't like girls who fish. Will she have to choose one and abandon the other?
Director: Holly Brace-Lavoie | Stars: Nafsika Baloukas, Charli Birdgenaw, Sara Bradeen, Hannah Dorozio
Votes: 11
Quiet nice and a little funny, didn't stuck with me though. 6/10
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