Open Wounds, Open Words: Berlinale Forum Special Embraces Young Voices

10 January 2025 | Source

The 2025 Berlinale Forum Special, titled "Open Wounds, Open Words," highlights youthful perspectives on cultural norms, inequality, and justice. Featuring restored classics like "Das falsche Wort" and new works such as "Scars of a Putsch," the program includes global student films and discussions at Kino Arsenal and other Berlin venues this February.

Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale)

Germany

The Berlinale Forum Special 2025, curated by Barbara Wurm, is set to present a thought-provoking selection of films under the theme "Open Wounds, Open Words." Building on last year’s focus on "Relations & Resistance," this year’s program shifts attention to the perspectives of younger generations, exploring themes of youth, social awakening, and the challenges of becoming part of society amidst cultural norms, inequality, and political oppression.

Two major 4K restorations are among the highlights of the Forum Special. Katrin Seybold and Melanie Spitta’s "Das falsche Wort (The Lie)" (1987), restored by the Filmmuseum München, revisits the crimes committed against the German Sinti from their perspective. The Brazilian Cinema Novo documentary-fiction hybrid "Iracema, uma transa amazônica" (1975), directed by Jorge Bodanzky and Orlando Senna, tackles environmental exploitation, gender inequality, and Indigenous struggles.

Three contemporary works using archival material complement these classics:

Vibeke Løkkeberg’s "The Long Road to the Director’s Chair", a reconstructed manifesto of feminist film history.
Tamara Stepanyan’s "Mes fantômes arméniens (My Armenian Phantoms)", which intertwines personal loss with reflections on Soviet Armenian cinema.
Nathalie Borgers’ "Scars of a Putsch", examining the enduring legacy of Turkey's 1980 military coup.

The Forum Special also includes a short film program spotlighting emerging female filmmakers. Three student films explore political histories in Georgia, China, and Uzbekistan:

"Shinagani gazapkhulebis q'vaviloba (Inner Blooming Springs)" by Tiku Kobiashvili.
"Gouchang (Fruit Farm)" by Nana Xu.
"Nagota (Nudity)" by Sabina Bakaeva.

In addition to film screenings, the program features discussions with filmmakers and experts. Notable events include panels on Georgia’s current film and political climate, led by Salomé Jashi, and grassroots film movements in Uzbekistan, featuring Julia Shaginurova.

Screenings will take place at iconic Berlin venues such as Kino Arsenal, Delphi Filmpalast, and Zoo Palast. The Forum marks a significant moment in Berlin’s cinematic history as Kino Arsenal at Potsdamer Platz prepares to close, with a new cinema set to open in 2026 at the silent green Kulturquartier.

With its rich blend of historical and contemporary works, the 2025 Forum Special offers a platform for critical reflection on global inequalities and the power of cinema to engage with both past and present struggles.