Jeremy Irons, president of the jury, at the opening press conference of the 70th Berlinale - Jens Kalaene / AP / SIPA

News was invited Thursday to the launch of the 70th Berlinale, the first film festival of the year in Europe, which starts a few hours after a double shootout, having killed nine people in Germany. "We are very sorry to hear what happened in Hanau and our thoughts are with the victims and their families," said the organizers, who plan to show their support for them on Thursday evening on the red carpet.

A first proper look at this year's #Berlinale: The highlights of the Press Conference with our International Jury: #JeremyIrons (Jury President) and #BereniceBejo, #BettinaBrokemper, @AnnemarieJacir, #KennethLonergan, #LucaMarinelli, and # KleberMendonçaFilho (@kmendhoho) . pic.twitter.com/NqjvqglWU3

- Berlinale (@berlinale) February 20, 2020

Actress Sigourney Weaver is to launch the festivities alongside Margaret Qualley with the film out of competition My Salinger year by Canadian Philippe Falardeau, on the literary ambitions of a young woman working for the agent of the famous writer JD Salinger. During the eleven days of the festival, some 340 films from around the world will be screened, including 18 in the running for the Golden Bear, awarded on February 29 by a jury chaired by British actor Jeremy Irons.

"This puts an end to my comments from the past"

Attempting to clear a nascent controversy, following the reappearance in the German press of an old interview where he made remarks deemed sexist, the Briton, Oscar for best actor in 1991, displayed his support for the movements to "protect women against all forms of harassment ”, the right to abortion and gay marriage. "I hope that some of the films that we are going to see will talk about these questions ... and see films that encourage us to question our attitudes, our prejudices. This puts an end to my comments from the past, "he said at the press conference of the jury, which included actors Bérénice Bejo and Luca Marinelli as well as directors Kenneth Lonergan and Kleber Mendonça Filho.

"Make room for diversity"

In addition to being a birthday, this 70th edition opens a new chapter for the Berlinale: after 18 years at the helm, the German Dieter Kosslick has given way to a younger duo, composed of the Italian Carlo Chatrian, former director Locarno Festival, and the Dutch Mariette Rissenbeek. For its debut, this new team had to face recent revelations about the Nazi past of a former director of the Berlinale, which forced them to transform the Alfred-Bauer Prize into a Silver Bear. The festival has also entrusted a survey on this subject to the Munich Institute of Contemporary History.

The objective of this edition is to "make room for diversity", by offering many films made by women, works from around the world, with a large contingent from Brazil, political subjects and a new section called "encounters", offering niche films between documentary and fiction. While the debate on the lack of black women and artists in cinema is in full swing, after the British Bafta and the Oscars, the Berlinale will offer six films directed or co-directed by female directors this year. A little less than last year. The festival will also take this opportunity to salute the career of Helen Mirren, who will receive a Bear of Honor for her entire career.

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