ENGLISH EDITION
And on the third year... onsite EFM came back
Foto: Jan Windszus / Berlinale
BERLINALE’S MARKET IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT IN THE WORLD AND, DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, IT HAD TO BE HELD ONLINE IN 2021 AND 2022. THE EFM IS BACK TO NORMAL TO RECOVER ITS PRIVILEGE POSITION. AFTER WINNING THE GOLDEN BEAR WITH ALCARRÀS LAST YEAR, SPANISH CINEMA RETURNS TO THE BERLIN FESTIVAL WITH A GOOD ROSTER OF TITLES IN DIFFERENT SECTIONS, INCLUDING A FILM IN COMPETITION: 20,000 SPECIES OF BEES.
T
he Omicron variant destroyed the plans for the last edition of the Berlinale to develop normally. There were several restrictions in the festival side and the European Film Market canceled its physical version to be held again virtually. Fortunately, the 73rd edition of the Berlinale (February 16-26) has, as usual, established itself as the first major film event of the season once again. One of the big names of 2023 is Steven Spielberg, who is receiving praise for his semi-autobiographical film The Fabelmans will receive the honorary Golden Bear. The young actress Kristen Stewart will be the president of the jury of the Official Competition, where the presence of the Spanish filmmaker Carla Simón stands out. Last year, Spanish Cinema was very successful in Berlin. Not only did Carla Simón win the Golden Bear, but films like One Year, One Night or Lullaby were very well received and began a amazing track record. The flagship of the ‘Spanish Armada’ in 2023 is 20,000 Species of Bees from Estíbaliz Urresola (Chords), which last year was with the project at the Berlinale Co-Production Market. It is the first time that a Spanish female filmmaker has premiered his feature debut in the
Official Competition. Produced by Inicia Films and Gariza Films, and with associated production by Sirimi Films, BTeam Pictures distributes the film in Spain on April 21. French Luxbox handles international sales. Shot in Spanish, Basque and French, it has a cast that includes Sofía Otero, Patricia López Arnaiz, Ane Gabarain and Itziar Lazkan. Cocó, eight years old, does not fit the expectations of the people and does not understand why. Everyone insists on calling her Aitor but she doesn't recognize herself by that name. Her mother, plunged into a professional and sentimental crisis, will take her three children on a holiday trip to her mother's house, closely linked to the breeding of bees and the production of honey. In Panorama, you can find Matria, a debut by Álvaro Gago that arose from a short of the same name that won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2018 and was nominated for a Goya in 2019. Like Urresola, this film went through the CoProduction Market in Berlin last year. Shot in Galician in different locations in the Rías Baixas (Pontevedra), it is produced by Matriuska Producciones, Avalon PC, Elastica Films, Ringo Media and Felicidad La Película AIE. Avalon will take it to Spanish theaters on March 24
CINEINFORME - ENERO / FEBRERO 2023
and sales are in charge of New Europe Film Sales. Starring María Vázquez, the film revolves around Ramona, who lives in a little town in Galicia. Always sacrificing everything for the future of her daughter Estrella, she will be pushed to look within and think that, perhaps, there is something new to live for. Lois Patiño (Coast of Death, Red Moon Tide) is one of the most loved auteurs by the major international festivals. If last year he brought his short film The Sowers of Stars to Berlin, this time he will go to the Encounters section with his feature film Samsara, produced by Señor y Señora. The domestic distribution is yet to be closed and the international sales agency is Bendita Films. It is a documentary and fiction hybrid in which we accompany a soul through the cycle of death and reincarnation. A transit that takes us from the Buddhist temples of Laos to the seaweed farms of Zanzibar. The other powerful Spanish feature film in Berlinale is Sica by Carla Subirana (Swimming, Volar) in Generation 14plus. The Generation section, specifically the Kplus side, has been relevant to Spanish Cinema in recent years, with cases like Summer 1993 or Schoogirls. This is Subirana's first fiction feature and is pro-
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