Christian Petzold stands out as a leading German filmmaker celebrated for sharp, mature cinema. His body of work cycles through themes of collective memory, moral ambiguity, and mythic undercurrents tied to German history. The latest release shifts gears, delivering a comedy that lands with genuine humor, yet the laughter gradually gives way to weightier reflections.
The sixth fiction in his Berlin spotlight, affectionately titled A fire, centers on a writer whose talent is eclipsed by an extraordinary self-absorption. He appears unable to show even a basic amount of empathy, convinced that his desires, fears, and insecurities constitute the entire universe. As the story unfolds, the director uses the hero’s misadventures not merely to entertain but to demonstrate how a narrative can teach while it touches the heart. Petzold proves that cinema can sharpen the mind and warm the spirit at once, signaling his enduring craft and reminding viewers of the power of character-driven drama.
an austere, challenging festival entry
If Afire brought a breath of fresh air to the Berlinale competition, the next entry in the lineup embraced a heavier mood. The film, directed by Portuguese filmmaker João Canijo and featuring three generations of women tending a hotel on Porto’s fringe, leans into a high-art register. Mal Vivir relies on long, uninterrupted takes, reflections in mirrors and glass, silhouettes framed at the edges, and layered dialogue to explore how the women argue, confront, and at times wound one another. The result is a film whose intensity can feel claustrophobic and exhausting, a choice that unsettled some audience members while captivating others with its stark honesty.
This piece forms a companion diptych with Vivir Mal, another Canijo production focusing on the hotel’s guests and shown in the festival’s non-competition slate. Don’t expect a triumphant chronicle, but rather a bold, intimate portrait that invites quiet reflection long after the credits roll.
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