Generation

Generation films - A selection from previous festival editions

Hung Hsia Hsu
Gong ji | Rooster | Gockel by Myo Aung
MMR, TWN 2021, Generation
© Myo Aung

Shabu by Shamira Raphaëla
NLD 2021, Generation
© Tangerine Tree

Fin Argus, Wyatt Oleff
Stay Awake by Jamie Sisley
USA 2022, Generation
© Stay Awake

Nada para ver aqui | Nothing to See Here by Nicolas Bouchez
PRT, BEL, HUN 2022, Generation
© Nicolas Bouchez

Aran-Sina Keshvari
Ensilumi | Any Day Now | Erster Schnee by Hamy Ramezan
FIN 2020, Generation
© Aamu Film Company

Sumeja Dardagan, Pavle Čemerikić
Tabija | The White Fortress by Igor Drljača
CAN, BIH 2021, Generation
© TABIJA FILM INC.

Irene Zequin, Clementina Folmer
Una escuela en Cerro Hueso | A School in Cerro Hueso | Eine Schule in Cerro Hueso by Betania Cappato
ARG 2021, Generation
© Betania Cappato & Iván Fund

Maria Galant
Irmã | Sisters in the End of the World by Luciana Mazeto, Vinícius Lopes
BRA 2020, Generation
© Carine Wallauer

Noémie Merlant
Jumbo by Zoé Wittock
FRA, BEL, LUX 2019, Generation
© Caroline Fauvet

Andrea Fandos
Las niñas | Schoolgirls | Mädchen by Pilar Palomero
ESP 2020, Generation
© Inicia Films

Clariella Bizimana, Angel Uwamahoro, Belinda Rubango Simbi
Notre-Dame du Nil | Our Lady of the Nile by Atiq Rahimi
FRA, BEL, RWA 2019, Generation
© Sophie Davin/Les Films du Tambour, Chapter 2

Tamar van Waning, Jonas Smulders
Paradise Drifters by Mees Peijnenburg
NLD 2020, Generation
© Jasper Wolf/2019 Pupkin

Hasan Najarian, Sepehr Tehranchi
White Winged Horse by Mahyar Mandegar
IRN 2020, Generation
© Mohammad Masoumi

Alen Hüseyin Gürsoy
Rauf by Barış Kaya, Soner Caner
TUR 2016, Generation
© Bariş Kaya

Shea Glover
Crystal Lake by Jennifer Reeder
USA 2016, Generation

Su Xiaotong
What’s in the Darkness by Wang Yichun
CHN 2015, Generation
© Kong Desheng

Zohre Eslami
Hendi va Hormoz | Hendi & Hormoz by Abbas Amini
IRN/CZE 2018, Generation
© Three Gardens Film / Ghazaleh Ali Mohammad

Almost Heaven by Carol Salter
GBR 2017, Generation
© Rocksalt Films / Carol Salter

Naelle Dariya, Angélique Bridoux
Je fais où tu me dis | Dressed for Pleasure by Marie de Maricourt
CHE 2017, Generation
© GoldenEggProduction / Fanny Mazoyer

Laia Artigas
Estiu 1993 | Summer 1993 | Sommer 1993 by Carla Simón
ESP 2017, Generation

My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea by Dash Shaw
USA 2016, Generation
© Tides High PTA, LLC

Ninnoc by Niki Padidar
NLD 2015, Generation
© Jefrim Rothuizen

Emilia Ossandón, Agustina Muñoz, Mariana Loyola, Julia Lübbert
Rara by Pepa San Martín
CHL/ARG 2016, Generation

Ni Kadek Thaly Titi Kasih
Sekala Niskala | Sichtbar und unsichtbar by Kamila Andini
IDN/NLD/AUS/QAT 2017, Generation
© Treewater Productions / Sofyan Syamsul

Royahaye Dame Sobh | Starless Dreams by Mehrdad Oskouei
IRN 2016, Generation

Yober Calvo Cuesta
Yover by Edison Sánchez
COL 2018, Generation
© Antrum Films / Daniel Ocampo

Violeta Castillo
Las plantas | Plants by Roberto Doveris
CHL 2015, Generation
Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus, two competition programmes screening state-of-the-art international cinema. For young audiences and for everyone else. Epic narratives and fleeting moments, flights of fantasy and bitter realities. Coming-of-age stories: awesome, wild and angry, heartfelt and headstrong.
With a comprehensive programme of contemporary films exploring the lives and worlds of children and teenagers, Berlinale Generation enjoys a unique position as the instigator of a convention-breaking young people’s cinema. Headed by Maryanne Redpath since 2008, the section is simultaneously a home for outspoken young audiences and open-minded adults. Generation continuously navigates the space between challenging and overwhelming, and nurtures an open and controversial dialogue with its audience, artists, industry guests and film critics.
The selection focuses on films that, in their narratives and cinematic languages, take young people seriously. Stories that are told through the eyes of their young protagonists and which make their worlds tangible. Films that matter, that open doors to unfamiliar worlds. Films that demand bravery, displaying intersectional perspectives and encouraging collective solutions. Films that hold up a mirror to the adult world. Feature films, documentaries and animations, genre films and works that expand the formal language of cinema compete on an equal footing in the section’s two competitions.

Festival photos of the past years

Lucas Roefmans
The protagonist doesn't care much about gravity.
Kind Hearts · Generation · Feb 11, 2022

Aamu Milonoff, Linnea Leino, Eleonoora Kauhanen
The cast of the film.
Tytöt tytöt tytöt · Generation · Feb 14, 2022

Maryanne Redpath, Tobias Krell
The section head and the moderator at the Generation Kplus opening.
Generation · Feb 10, 2022

Rebecca Huntt
The director and protagonist of the film.
Beba · Generation · Feb 13, 2022

Charlie Areddy, Fred Baillif, Amélie Tonsi, Claudia Grob, Amandine Golay, Anaïs Uldry
The director (top step) and his cast at the premiere.
La Mif · Generation · Freiluftkino Rehberge · Jun 12, 2021

Melanie Waelde
Incognito: the member of the 2021 Generation International Jury at the premiere of the winning film in the competition of Kplus.
Han Nan Xia Ri · Generation · Freiluftkino Hasenheide · Jun 10, 2021

Dash Shaw
On the way to the stage - and having arrived there.
Cryptozoo · Generation · Freiluftkino Rehberge · Jun 11, 2021

Masked and loaded with popcorn at the admission
Una escuela en Cerro Hueso · Generation · Freiluftkino Hasenheide · Jun 11, 2021

Martha Reyes Arias
The actress taking pictures, eyed by the young guests.
Los lobos · Generation · Feb 24, 2020

Group photo
The film team.
Die Adern der Welt · Generation · Feb 23, 2020

Atiq Rahimi
The director won the Crystal Bear for the Best Film, awarded by the Youth Jury in Generation 14plus.
Notre-Dame du Nil · Generation · Feb 28, 2020

Florencia González Rodríguez, Chloé Cherchyk, Agustina Milstein, Sol Berruezo Pichon-Rivière, Laura Mara Tablón
With the green kerchiefs the film team expresses its solidarity with the movement Ni una menos (Not one woman less!) which fights for the legalisation of abortions.
Mamá, mamá, mamá · Generation · Feb 22, 2020

Maryanne Redpath, Leonie Krippendorff, Elina Vildanova, Lena Klenke, Lena Urzendowsky, Jella Haase
The director with her actresses and the section head before the premiere.
Kokon · Generation · Feb 21, 2020

Yasna Mirtahmasb, Negar Moghaddam
The actors in the cinema hall at the premiere at Haus der Kulturen der Welt.
Dressage · Generation · Feb 21, 2018

Protagonists
The young actors on the stage.
ÖDLAND - Damit keiner das so mitbemerkt · Generation · Feb 09, 2013

Harrison Feldman, Bethany Whitmore, Matthew Whittet
The actors at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt.
Girl Asleep · Generation · Feb 12, 2016

Olivia Lonsdale, Ayoub Elasri, Sam de Jong, Sigrid Ten Napel
At the premiere.
Prins · Generation · Feb 06, 2015

Film team
At the premiere.
Estiu 1993 · Generation · Feb 11, 2017

Trudie Styler, Alex Lawther
The director and the main actor of the US American film.
Freak Show · Generation · Feb 13, 2017

Sukhbat Batsaikhan, Budee Batsaikhan
The two actors of the film.
Zud · Generation · Feb 14, 2016

Ekram Zubajdi, Walaa Tanji, Christy Garland
The translator with the protagonist and the director.
What Walaa Wants · Generation · Feb 17, 2018

Tsubaki Tanaka, Mina Hatanaka
The actress and the producer after the premiere.
Blue Wind Blows · Generation · Feb 17, 2018

Film team
On the stage in the Haus der Kulturen der Welt.
Cobain · Generation · Feb 17, 2018

Bruno Ganz, Kidist Siyum Beza, Germinal Roaux
The actors and the director.
Fortuna · Generation · Feb 18, 2018

Michael Winterbottom
The director of the opening film in 14plus.
On the Road · Generation · Feb 10, 2017

Film team
Sekala Niskala | The Seen and Unseen | Sichtbar und unsichtbar by Kamila Andini | Generation 2018
Im Haus der Kulturen der Welt.

Aoife McArdle, Ann Skelly, Ryan Lincoln
The director with her actors on the stage of the Haus der Kulturen der Welt.
Kissing Candice · Generation · Feb 20, 2018

Rose-Marie Perreault, Anthony Therrien
Two of the actors at the premiere.
Les faux tatouages · Generation · Feb 21, 2018

Magnus Mariuson, Maria Solrun
The director and her main actor at the premiere.
Adam · Generation · Feb 22, 2018
The origins of Generation lie in the “Cinema for People Six and up” programme. With this selection, first presented in 1978, the Berlinale responded to the needs of young cineastes who, because of age restrictions had been denied access to the festival up to that point. As the Kinderfilmfest (“Children’s Film Festival”), the initiative developed further into an important platform for a cinema that makes the wealth of cinematic art also accessible to the youngest filmgoers. To meet the constantly growing interest of and in teenage audiences, in 2004 the section was expanded to include the 14plus competition. In 2007 the section was renamed Generation, now with two competitions: Generation Kplus (the former Kinderfilmfest) and Generation 14plus.
The manner in which the films are presented plays an important role in Generation. Premieres are celebrated on the red carpet and in the cinemas with the filmmakers and their young stars in attendance. The section facilitates exchanges between the audiences and filmmakers especially focusing on dialogue with younger audience members. The views and questions prompted by diverse cinematic form and content are often challenging and the filmmakers are delighted by fresh perspectives on their work.
Films in Generation Kplus are screened in their original version with English subtitles and German voice-over. The voice-over is prepared by professional translators and spoken by qualified voice artists during the screenings. In addition, each year the festival produces German subtitles for three Generation Kplus films to introduce young cineastes to reading subtitles.
In Generation 14plus, all films are screened in their original version with English subtitles and without the voice-over.
Each film receives an upwardly open age recommendation that has been devised with educational advisors. This recommendation ensures that young audiences encounter films that correspond to the horizon of their own life experience.
Generation maintains a close relationship with the film industry and considers distributors and sales agents as allies in their work towards an ambitious film culture. The visibility brought by the competitions and their awards and the linkage with the European Film Market (EFM) present important opportunities for the films to begin their distribution path in the best possible conditions. In collaboration with the EFM, Generation is working on smoothing the way for films to gain access to new audience segments and supporting them on their further journey beyond the context of the festival. The section’s strong popularity among audiences is evidence of the opportunities that exist to engage a young viewing public with a cinema that is formally diverse and artistically daring.
As part of its engagement with the audience, Generation maintains a close relationship with Berlin’s school system. The early provision of information and opportunities to buy group tickets before they go on public sale, as well as numerous morning screenings, facilitate visits to the festival by school classes.
Since 2006, the Berlinale Schulprojekt (Berlinale School Project) has actively supported the integration of Generation films into the school curriculum. Two media educators advise around 50 selected teachers from all kinds of schools and class ages in Berlin and its surrounding areas. The Berlinale School Project takes place in cooperation with Vision Kino. In 2017 it was expanded to include "Welcome classes", thereby giving refugee children access to the Generation programme.