The Berlinale program was very public this year. The good news for those who stayed at home: Some of the films will come to Swiss cinemas in the next few weeks.

The cinema is “a stroking unit for the soul” that the audience will experience that these days, Tilda Swinton raved about the opening of the 75th Berlinale, where it was honored with a golden bear for her life’s work. Only to disenchant themselves a little later when she spoke out at a press conference for the “Boykott, Disinvestment and Sanctions” (BDS) campaign, the movement that Israel wants to boycott, whether it is about goods or cultural and scientific exchange.

A Swinton scandal? No. Unlike last year, it stayed calm on the premises. Maybe it’s the need for the topic. Or the resignation in view of the overwhelming global political events. One thing is certain, Tricia Tuttle, the new artistic director of the Berlinale, simply made it easy for the audience to withdraw from the world. The selection of films was attractive and accessible. The cliché of the festival film, in which something happens in four settings for two hours and only on the meta level – not here.

The good news for those who stayed at home: Some of the works from Tuttle’s program will come to Swiss cinemas in the next few weeks. These are the titles that you can make a note of.

A Complete Unknown

In “A Complete Unknown” (from 27.2), Timothée Chalamet plays the young Bob Dylan, who in 1961 arrived in New York with little more than his guitar. He quickly became very well known and then turned up the amplifier on July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival. High treason on the folk scene, where Dylan had just been worshiped, but a stroke of luck for his career.

“A Complete Unknown” is nominated for eight Oscars, Chalamet for one as the best actor. He would earn the prize because he creates what seldom succeeds in biographical films: one does not see the “actor, disguised as”, as is currently the case with Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas, but actually the figure. Dylan fans will be horrified despite its acting: this film tries to demystify the “completely unknown” and to explain its songs, holy puzzles of pop culture. A sacrilege – but narratively necessary for a film that is aimed at a wide audience and wants to win Oscars.

Heroine

Also on 27.2, “Heroine” will be released, the drama of the Swiss filmmaker Petra Volpe. It tells of a day in the life of Floria (Leonie Benesch), who is almost solely responsible for her infirmary due to lack of staff. She rushes from room to room, everyone wants something from her, Floria does what she can, must never become impatient and under no circumstances make mistakes. “Heroine” is a straightforward told film. Artistic frills would only distract from the message, and that is: nursing work is not glamorous, extremely exhausting, and too few still want to do it. The audience thanked with a standing ovation. They were probably also the case with the approximately fifty nurses who accompanied their “film on the premiere stage.

Mickey 17

Dystopias are usually a serious matter. But not in “Mickey 17” (6.3). The South Korean director Bong Joon Ho, the triple Oscar winner for “Parasite”. In “Mickey 17”, a despotic president (Mark Ruffalo) wants to build a new civilization on a planet called Niflheim. In order for this to succeed, the people on board his spaceship on the “wear and tear” Mickey 17 (Robert Pattinson), who is there, rely on any danger. If he dies, he is re-printed out, his stored memory is used and is sent to the next use. It gets complicated when Mickey 18 is accidentally printed, although number 17 is still alive.

“Mickey 17” is a social satire, in the first half very funny-Robert Pattinson proves his talent for comedy-in the second a bit of reality breaks into science fiction setting when the despot is becoming more and more clear to the mixed machine of Donald Trump and Elon Musk becomes. The entertainment value of “Mickey 17” does not harm little.

Köln 75

“Köln 75” (13.3) is a fairly conventionally made biography film about an absolutely astonishing young woman: the Cologne native Vera Brandes. The story could also be called “Vera runs”: Brandes (Mala Emde) is already rushing after her calling to organize jazz concerts. She runs in front of her nasty father (Ulrich Tukur), who demands that she become a dentist. Like him. At 18, she races back and forth between Cologne Opera, a music school and the Hotel of Keith Jarrett (John Magaro) to find a Bösendorfer imperial wing at the last moment that the improvisation artist demands to appear at all. The Cologne concert is now the best-selling jazz salop bar. If Mala Emde only had a little more charisma and would not play so emphasized.

The Light

Tilda Swinton said in her speech to go to the cinema, “in the midst of a fure of humans, to trust that you could feel the same thing for a moment”. – correct in the case of the opening film “The light” (27.3) by Tom Tykwer. No matter what conversation you listened to when leaving the cinema, it turned out that the audience felt the same thing over long distances: this family drama with Lars Eidinger and Nicolette Krebitz was a chaotic, long and questionable imposition.

Mother’s Baby

The thriller “Mother’s Baby” from Johanna Moder is everything “the light” is not: thought out, stringent and very exciting. You do not meet countless characters, but feel with one with one, Julia (Marie Leuenberger). Thanks to the reproductive doctor Dr. Vilfort (Claes Bang) Finally her child’s child. But as soon as it is in the world and although everyone allegedly claims, “that’s all normal,” Julia creeps up not to make some voice with the baby. The doctor tries to declare the “overwhelmed by hormones” to be hysterical, but Julia cannot be put off. She continues to look for answers and will soon make a shocking discovery. This impressive film has a rental. Let’s hope for an early start date.