[Chapter 290: Berlin International Film Festival]
In early January, Link arrived in Berlin for the 45th Berlin International Film Festival with his new film, The Butterfly Effect. Established in 1951, the Berlin Film Festival was regarded as one of the big three international film festivals alongside Cannes and Venice, with its highest award being the Golden Bear.
Held annually in January and February for two weeks, the festival included various categories such as the main competition, short films, new generations, forums, and special screenings. Before the 1980s, the festival had a penchant for politically-themed films, which were often favored by juries. However, with the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the festival became more diverse in its awards, emphasizing artistic and humanistic films.
This year, 1,338 films from around the world participated in the festival. After ten days of selections, 22 films made it to the main competition, including Link's The Butterfly Effect, Bertrand Tavernier's L'appât, Smoke by Wayne Wang, Vadim Abdrashitov's A Play for a Passenger, Cross My Heart and Hope to Die by Marius Holst, and Nobody's Fool by Robert Benton, among others.
...
Notably, Link's The Butterfly Effect generated considerable buzz among German media during its premiere. The Bild newspaper praised it as "a stunning masterpiece that wrapped a philosophical core in a sci-fi guise." Film critic David Thomson lauded the film's clever integration of psychology and chaos theory, exploring timeless themes of fate, choice, and humanity through its intricate timeline.
"In a genre filled with visual spectacles, The Butterfly Effect stood out for its unique humanistic care and profound thematic depth. Director Link constructed a stunning parallel universe with rigorous logic, prompting audiences to ponder the essence of life amidst its thrilling atmosphere. It is not just a sci-fi film; it reflects the complexities of humanity."
Bild declared the film to be the "most thought-provoking" of the year, igniting a philosophical debate on fate and choice during the festival.
...
After several days of deliberation, Link won the Silver Bear for Best Director, while the Golden Bear for Best Film went to the French movie L'appât. A Play for a Passenger won Silver Bear, and Paul Newman won Silver Bear for Best Actor for Nobody's Fool.
...
At the party, Link encountered Lia van Leer, the jury chair of this year's festival, along with jury member George Durgilov, a Bulgarian filmmaker and producer, renowned German director Volker Schlondorff, known for works like The Tin Drum and Tom Tykwer who was later known for Run Lola Run, as well as famous actress Nastassja Kinski and model Diane Kruger.
Link chatted with them and extended collaboration invitations.
Given the fierce competition from the Seven Major Studios, Link aimed to bolster Guess Pictures' strength by recruiting allies to increase the number of productions, thereby enhancing its negotiating power in competition.
This strategy was one of Link's responses to the ongoing pressure from the Seven Major Studios.
After attending the festival party, Link returned to his hotel to rest.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.