Columbia Takes Berlin: Students, Alums, and Faculty to Screen Their Films in 75th Berlinale

Columbia Filmmakers are heading to Germany for the 75th Annual Berlinale to compete across several categories. The festival, which runs from February 13 to 23 in the eponymous city, is an important stop on the annual film circuit, and lately a flashpoint for international unrest.

Showcasing our incredible student talent at the festival is Rhea Shukla, whose short film, Ruse, is making its world premiere in the Generation category for viewers of all ages. Written and directed by Shukla, the short follows three girls passing time on a rainy afternoon, and the newfound intimacy that springs from unexpected desires. 

Also on the docket is Mickey 17, making its German premiere in the festival’s Special Gala. The sci-fi comedy, which stars Robert Pattinson as a hapless employee forced to die (time and again) for his employer, is produced by Dede Gardner (CC ’90), a two-time Academy Award winner who celebrated her latest nomination last month.

Also playing is Peter Hujar’s Day, following After its January premiere at Sundance, Peter Hujar’s Day will screen in the Panorama section of the festival, which highlights the new, daring, and unconventional. Written and directed by former Adjunct Professor Ira Sachs, the 1974-set film is a day in the life of its titular subject, the uncompromising photographer who would help to define the New York City art scene.

Another film heading to Berlin by way of Park City is BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions, written by Professor of English and Comparative Literature Saidiya Hartman and Irvin Hunt (GSAS ’14). Screening in the Perspectives category, which champions new and emerging voices, the avant-garde film is a sonic exploration of diaspora across 247 years, centered on a search for truth aboard a transatlantic liner.

View the full lineup for Berlinale’s 75th edition here.