BERLIN - The Berlin Film Festival will kick off on Thursday evening with an eclectic selection of films reflecting current upheavals, and with Wim Wenders, one of Germany's most illustrious directors, heading the jury.
Against the backdrop of polarisation and repression, "it's more critical than ever that we defend our artistic freedom", festival director Tricia Tuttle told AFP.
German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer said the 76th edition of the festival would be a testament to the fact that "screenplays, cameras and screens are not mere artistic tools, but weapons in the fight for freedom and human dignity".
"We must not allow the despots in Tehran or Caracas to win," he said in a statement.
Berlin is the first major international festival in the world's film calendar and has a reputation for topical and progressive programming.
This year's edition takes place against the backdrop of international tensions, the bloody crackdown on protests in Iran and global threats to human rights.
The opening film, "No Good Men" by Iran-born Afghan director Shahrbanoo Sadat, tells the story of Naru, a reporter at a Kabul TV station separated from her husband on account of his infidelities who questions her beliefs about men during a fateful assignment.
The festival's opening ceremony will honour Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh, who won the Best Actress Oscar in 2023 for "Everything, Everywhere, All at Once".
More than 200 films will be shown over the 10 days of the festival, of which 22 will be in competition for the Golden Bear, which last year was scooped by Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud's film "Dreams".
As was the case last year, a majority of the films being shown this year were made by women directors, as were nine of the 22 films in official competition.
In comparison with Cannes or Venice, Berlin attracts fewer big productions with A-list-heavy casts.
But that is not to say there are no big names on the programme.