The Berlinale is in a vibe crisis. Here’s how moving the festival to Charlottenburg would make it fun again.
Move the Berlinale To Charlottenburg
Festivals
Reviews and dispatches exploring the best new cinema premiering around the world.
Blind Love. Tunnel Vision.
References to Alfred Hitchock and Edward Yang does the paper-thin queer Taiwanese love story Blind Love no favours.
Screen Rotterdam
Rotterdam Film Festival has more films in its 2025 edition than days in the year. We tried to hold its offerings, like collecting water in a sieve.
Perla Ponders the Perils of the Communist Patriarchy
While Perla looks and feels extremely well-made, its surfeit of style overwhelms the emotional heart of this communist-era tale. Live from Rotterdam!
Strandzha. Between the Borderlines.
The woods straddling Bulgaria and Turkey are imbued with multivalent meanings in Pepe Hristova’s Strandzha, playing in Harbour at IFFR.
Gay Men’s Book Club. Jubilee for Normal People.
The end of identity politics is discussed with nuance and heart in Matthew Lax’s simple yet effective mid-length documentary Gay Men’s Book Club.
Wicked Queer Docs. Standing On Business.
In the aftermath of a devastating election result, Wicked Queer Docs in Boston offers solace, community and celebration of LGBTQI+ voices.
The Boy with Pink Pants. Pain Without the Exploitation.
Pink clothes become a metaphor for difference in Margherita Ferri’s nuanced The Boy with Pink Pants, based on a devastating true story.
Some Nights I Feel Like Walking Refreshingly Tackles the Realities of Urban Queer Life
Some Nights I Feel Like Walking doesn’t buy into the glittery tropes of recent queer cinema — instead diving into the harsh realities of gay life.
No Dogs Allowed. Navigating Shaky Ground.
Despite its technical accomplishments, Steve Bache’s No Dogs Allowed unfortunately replicates many of the same things it seeks to criticise.