Each year, the folks over at British Shorts give Berlin a huge dose of exciting cinema from the UK and Ireland, plus cinema’s symmetrical offerings by way of a supporting exhibition, live music, talks and a workshop. It’s one of the city’s yearly Kino highlights, and if you don’t cop tickets and get yourself out of the freezing cold and into the warm inviting theatres, then more fool you!
Retrospectives are my favourite thing when it comes to festival programming, enraptured as I am by these sharp curatorial deep dives that highlight hidden gems. So it’s particularly exciting that this year’s theme for the 17th edition of the festival is “Weekender – Memories of Acid House & 90s Rave Scenes”.
This retrospective will collate old-school promos, documentaries and footage from the beginning scenes of UK rave culture in the late 80s and early 90s, connecting the dots from rave culture’s underground origins to its ever-growing commercial homogenisation.
Expect fantastic short films across the genres, including works with Tilda Swinton and Robert Whitelock (in the experimental drama The Dong with the Luminous Nose by Jonny Phillips, based on a story by Edward Lear) and the animated experimental film Wild Summon by Karni & Saul, featuring Marianne Faithful. Do not miss!
- Various locations, Jan 18-24, details.
