Humorous Start to the 66th Berlin Film Festival

The 66th Berlin Film Festival kicked off on Thursday with the screening of "Hail, Caesar!" directed by the Coen brothers. This film, the latest work of Joel and Ethan Coen, unique filmmakers in American cinema, was a fitting choice for a festival that has themed this year around the right of everyone to live happily. "Hail, Caesar!" offers a humorous look at the peak of filmmaking studios' activity in the 1950s, a period known as Hollywood's Golden Age. The film not only references various cinematic events of that era but also humorously alludes to some social and political events of the 1950s, including the influence of leftist thought and communism on some filmmakers of that time. The presence of numerous stars from "Hail, Caesar!" in Berlin drew cinema enthusiasts' attention to the festival from day one. The press conference with the film's cast, including its two directors and stars like George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum, and Alden Ehrenreich, had a cheerful and humorous atmosphere, much like the film itself. However, this press conference was not untouched by the weight of the Middle Eastern developments and the refugee crisis, with an Arab journalist asking George Clooney to use his media attention to narrate the current problems in the Middle East. Earlier, during the press conference of this year's jury, questions related to political and cultural events were posed to the judges, especially to their chair, Meryl Streep, a renowned actress. Ms. Streep, who is serving as the jury chair for the first time at a prestigious film festival, found her presence in this group interesting but had little to say in response to questions about her views on several Middle Eastern films present at the festival. This year's Berlin jury features a majority of women, with four female cultural and cinematic figures from different countries, which is seen as Berlin's response to the usual media criticisms of international festivals for not adequately recognizing female filmmakers. Nevertheless, during the same press conference, they faced questions such as why there were no representatives of Black or African filmmakers in the jury group. Nick James, a prominent critic and jury member, referred these questions back to the festival organizers. Dieter Kosslick, the well-known Berlinale director, expressed hope before the festival began that this year's event could provide a limited opportunity to remind audiences of joy and happiness amidst various current global crises. He also announced that Berlin would distribute free tickets to a number of newly arrived refugees in the city to help them endure their difficult and prolonged waiting period. The refugee and migration crisis is indeed the main theme in several films at this year's Berlin festival and is expected to be highlighted in the festival's upcoming events. This year's Berlin festival, as usual, showcases a wide range of films from various countries around the world. Among the more than 200 films being screened in different sections of Berlin this year, 187 will experience their international premieres. Among them are several films by Iranian filmmakers residing both in Iran and abroad. The controversial film "Lantouri" by Reza Dormishian, which faced various controversies during its recent screening at the Fajr Festival, will be the first Iranian film screened in the Panorama section on Sunday. Rafi Pitz with "I Am Not Going" will be the first Iranian to have his film screened in the competition section on Tuesday as a product of Germany, France, and Mexico, followed by Mani Haqiqi showcasing his new film "The Dragon Enters" in this section. "Valderama" by Abbas Amini and "Dreams of Dawn" by Mehrdad Eskoei are other Iranian films present at the festival. Additionally, the documentary "Life on the Border" produced by Bahman Ghobadi is also present at the festival as a product of Iraq. Babak Ghafouri Azar, the producer of "Scene" at Radio Farda, follows developments in the cinema and theater sectors. He joined Radio Farda in 2010 and has published various investigative reports on the events of the first decade of the Islamic Republic's establishment. Babak Ghafouri Azar began his journalism career in Iran in 2001.