The World Cinema section has allowed everyone to examine the general trend of non-Asian films of the year. This year, the section is filled with 74 films from 45 countries. A number of new works by the world-renowned filmmakers have been selected from Europe, where the nations with traditionally strong film industry are located. Among them, there are films presented or awarded at the world's three major film festivals, such as Michael Haneke's
(France), Matteo Garrone's (Italy), Thomas Vinterberg's , the Taviani brothers' (Italy) and Christian Petzold's (Germany). There also are new works from the filmmakers like Jan Troell, Marco Bellocchio, Ken Loach, Volker Schlondorff, Olivier Assayas and Cristian Mungiu. France still ranks first in terms of the number of newly produced films, and Italian directors have been standing strong since last year. Vitality of German cinema is proven by the increase in the number of German films selected, as well as . European world premieres include Silvio Soldini's (Italy) and (Spain), characterized by its unique and mystical atmosphere.
The international premieres include
(Denmark), (Netherlands), (Finland), a comedy called (France) and a revisionist western (Poland). There also are works by new European filmmakers: (UK) and (Ireland). Meanwhile, a large number of high-quality independent films are produced each year in North America. Particular attention is required for two films having their world premieres in Busan, (Canada) and (Canada). Ben Affleck's (US), a Hollywood film produced this year, has been selected from the USA to provide a unique and enjoyable experience. In 2012, the most noticeable trend of world cinema is the remarkable growth achieved by the film industries in Central and South Americas. Such a growth is demonstrated by the Best Director Award won by Carlos Reygadas and the meteoric rise of young directors including Michel Franco and Andres Burgos Vallejo. In particular, this year's significant growth of Chilean and Colombian films will be witnessed with (Chile), (Chile) ? a unique western which will have its international premiere, or (Colombia). As for African and Oceanian films, (Morocco), (Kenya), (South Africa) and (Australia) will prove their directors' skillfulness in Busan. The World Cinema films describe diverse aspects of human life, sometimes from a serious and critical perspective and other times within the framework of a particular genre. These films, which will travel long distance to visit Busan, reflect the lives of our contemporary global neighbors and therefore be all the more interesting.
World Cinema sect.
<Barbara> Film Information
* COUNTRY: Germany
*Running Time: 105min
* Color / Format : 35mm / Color
<Barbara>
is without doubt a masterpiece of Christian Petzold. His works share a distinctive style that the characters communicate their emotions through facial expressions and eye movement rather than dialogues. Barbara also demonstrates the psychology of Barbara who is planning to escape East Germany to West Germany through her face instead of lines exchanged between characters or events. Barbara set a plan to escape from the suffocating society of East Germany to West Germany. The first half of the film is filled with depiction of misery and sense of isolation that she feels living in East Germany. While preparing her escape, she meets Stella, a girl from a youth detention center who was forced to be hospitalized, and falls in love with a colleague doctor Andre. These people make Barbara’s decision changed. What if happiness is not in the land over the border but is what you create with people around you? Petzold does not plainly make his point. Instead, he wants the audience to look at Barbara’s situation in the scenes captured in long shot and hopefully empathize with her.
DIRECTOR : Christian PETZOLD
Born in Hilden in 1960, Petzold moved to Berlin in 1981, first studying German, literature and drama at the FU in Berlin, followed by studies at the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin from 1988-94, during which time he was assistant director to Harun Farocki and Hartmut Bitomsky. Directing his first drama in 1995, his film <Die Innere Sicher-heit> (2000) received a Gold German Film Award. His films <Gespenster> (2004) and <Yella> (2006) have screened in the Berlinale’s Competition programme.
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