Film Season: BERLIN NOW at HOME

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor
Victoria - Image courtesy of HOME

Film Season: BERLIN NOW at HOME Manchester, Manchester 2 — 7 November 2016 Tickets from £5.00 — Book now

With cheap rents, plenty of studio space and a vibrant creative scene, Berlin has established itself as one of the world’s attractive cities for aspiring artists. This November, HOME investigates the city today with BERLIN NOW – a festival which promises a close up view of the original talent produced by this creative hothouse with a selection of live art, theatre, music, film and new writing.

Berlin has provided the backdrop for some of the great works of cinema. Films such as Wim Wender’s Wings of Desire and Rainier Werner Fassbinder’s The Marriage of Maria Braun have explored the city’s troubled history and made superb use of its eclectic architecture. As part of BERLIN NOW, the film team at HOME have come up with a short season of films that explores and celebrates this enduring cinematic pedigree.

The season begins on Wednesday 2nd November with Sebastian Shipper’s thrilling Victoria. A propulsive heist movie filmed in an breathless single take, Victoria won rave reviews upon release and features a superb turn from Laia Costa in the lead role as a Spanish woman whose life takes an unexpected turn when she meets some native Berliners on a night out.

Yella (Nina Hoss)
Yella – Image courtesy of HOME

Then, two days later on Friday 4th November, HOME screen the gentler A Coffee in Berlin, which is described as a “love-letter to the city of Berlin and Generation Y, depicting a day-in-the-life of twenty-something law school dropout Niko”. Rarely screened since its release in 2012, this amiable black and white work has earned comparisons with the films of Woody Allen.

Next up is Christiane F., a gritty drama based the true confessions of 13-year-old Christiane Felscherinow who became embroiled in the 1970s West Berlin drug scene. Released in 1981, the film earned plaudits for its use of the actual Berlin locations referenced by the real-life Christiane and features David Bowie performing live in a pivotal scene. German cinema expert, Maggie Hoffgen will be on hand to introduce the film on Sunday 6th November.

The season concludes with Christian Petzold’s Yella which screens on Monday 7th November. Petzold, a leading figure in the Berliner Schule, directed one of last year’s very best films in Pheonix and fans shouldn’t miss the chance to catch up with this earlier work starring Nina Hoss as a young woman estranged from her possessive, violent ex.

Film Season: BERLIN NOW at HOME Manchester, Manchester 2 — 7 November 2016 Tickets from £5.00 Book now

What's on at HOME Manchester

Where to go near Film Season: BERLIN NOW at HOME

Manchester
Restaurant
Indian Tiffin Room, Manchester

Indian Tiffin Room is a restaurant specialising in Indian street food, with branches in Cheadle and Manchester. This is the information for the Manchester venue.

The Ritz Manchester live music venue
Manchester
Music venue
The Ritz

The Ritz was originally a dance hall, built in 1928, has hosted The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and The Smiths and is still going strong as a gig venue now.

Homeground
Manchester
Event venue
Homeground

Homeground is HOME’s brand new outdoor venue, providing an open-air space for theatre, food, film, music, comedy and more.

Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Burgess Cafe Bar
at IABF

Small but perfectly-formed café – which also serves as the in-house bookstore, stocking all manner of Burgess-related works, along with recordings of his music. It’s a welcoming space, with huge glass windows making for a bright, welcoming atmosphere.

Rain Bar pub in Manchester
City Centre
Bar or Pub
Rain Bar

This huge three-floor pub, formerly a Victorian warehouse, then an umbrella factory (hence the name), has one of the city centre’s largest beer gardens. The two-tier terrace overlooks the Rochdale canal and what used to be the back of the Hacienda, providing an unusual, historic view of the city.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
The Briton’s Protection

Standing on the corner of a junction opposite The Bridgewater Hall, The Briton’s Protection is Manchester’s oldest pub. It has occupied the same spot since 1795, going under the equally patriotic name The Ancient Britain.

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