Simon Curtis’ Woman in Gold is to receive its world premiere at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival (Feb. 5-15). The film, starring Ryan Reynolds and Helen Mirren, will play in the festival’s special galas line-up.
Also announced today are Anton Corbijn’s Life, starring Robert Pattinson and Dane DeHaan; Dagur Kari’s Virgin Mountain; Ava DuVernay’s Selma; and the European premiere of Bill Pohland’s Love & Mercy, starring John Cusack.
Woman in Gold tells the true story of an octogenarian Jewish refugee, who takes on the government to recover artwork she believes rightfully belongs to her family. The film is is produced by Origin Pictures, BBC Films and The Weinstein Company.
Corbijn’s Life, also receiving its world premiere, is inspired by the true story of a friendship that developed between Magnum photographer Dennis Stock (Pattinson) and actor James Dean (DeHaan) when Stock was commissioned to photograph the actor for Life magazine in 1955. See-Saw Films and First Generation Films produce from a script by Luke Davies (Candy). FilmNation is handling international sales.
Also receiving its world premiere is previous Golden Bear winner Mark Donford-May’s Breathe – Umphefumlo, a contemporary adaptation of Puccini’s La Boheme, set in South Africa.
South Africa’s Isango Advantage, the UK’s Film and Music Entertainment (F&ME) and Germany’s Arte/Propeller Film co-produced with support from Desmond and Leah Tutu’s Legacy Foundation. Donford-May previously won the festival’s top prize for U-Carmen eKhayelitsha, a modern South African-set take on Bizet’s Carmen.
Other new additions to the line-up are Die abhandene Welt (The Misplaced World) by Margarethe von Trotta (Rosenstraße); documentary The Seventh Fire by Jack Pettibone Riccobono (Rage for Sale) and Torneranno i prati (Greenery Will Bloom Again) from Italian director Ermanno Olmi (Terra Madre, The Tree of Wooden Clogs).
alirjaafar
