Berlinale kicks off with a film starring Cillian Murphy
The 74th Berlin International Film Festival has opened with the world premiere of "Small Things Like These." Stars including Lupita Nyong'o, Emily Watson and Matt Damon were also at the opening gala.
A yearly celebration of cinema kicks off in Berlin
The 74th Berlin International Film Festival, also known as Berlinale, kicked off on February 15 with its traditional red carpet opening gala. The 10-day festival features hundreds of films from all over the world, screened in different sections, including the official competition, where 20 films are vying for the Golden and Silver Bears.
Lupita Nyong'o leads a diverse jury
The International Jury, tasked with selecting the winners, is headed by Oscar-winning Mexican-Kenyan star Lupita Nyong'o. Six co-jurors will accompany her: actor and director Brady Corbet (US), director Ann Hui (Hong Kong, China), director Christian Petzold (Germany), director Albert Serra (Spain), actor and director Jasmine Trinca (Italy) and writer Oksana Zabuzhko (Ukraine).
Another haunted character for Cillian Murphy
The opening film, "Small Things Like These," stars Cillian Murphy, freshly nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in "Oppenheimer." In this historical drama set in a small Irish town in the 1980s, he plays a coal delivery man who discovers how young women are mistreated in the town's Magdalene asylum, an institution run by the Catholic Church.
Emily Watson co-stars as Sister Mary
In "Small Things Like These," the British actress portrays a nun in charge of concealing dark and disturbing secrets. The Magdalene Laundries were workhouses for young women who had become pregnant out of wedlock. While the movie is set in the 1980s, the cruel institutions ran in Ireland from the 1820s to 1996.
Matt Damon in Berlin as a producer
The American star is one of the producers of "Small Things Like These," which was directed by Tim Mielants. The film is based on the bestselling novel by Irish author Claire Keegan. The world premiere of the movie also marks the beginning of "Zeitgeist Irland 24," a yearlong program of Irish culture across Germany.
Last opening gala for Berlinale co-directors
It's their last Berlinale as a directorial duo: Executive manager Mariette Rissenbeek and artistic director Carlo Chatrian are stepping down after this year's event, as their contract is ending. They will be replaced by Tricia Tuttle, from the US.
German culture minister celebrates political power of cinema
As the Berlinale is funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture, Claudia Roth was the star politician at the opening. Every year, elected politicians from the German government get a quota of invitations. That meant representatives of the far-right party Alternative for Germany, AfD, were also on the list — at least initially. After a backlash, organizers decided to backtrack.
Setting a political tone on the red carpet
The Berlinale has a reputation for being the most political of the major European film festivals. This year's opening was no exception. Top model Papis Loveday walked the red carpet with a "No Racism, No AfD" sign; others had pinned "Ceasefire Now" on their outfits. Here, a group poses with photographs of the victims of the 2020 racist terrorist attack in Hanau.