Documentary

Ukraine doc “Timestamp” is riveting study of schools in wartime

Cheers of “Slava Ukraini” (Glory to Ukraine) rang out in the Berlinale Palast on Thursday at the world premiere of the brilliant but heart-rending documentary “Strichka chasu” (Timestamp), about the superhuman efforts Ukraine has made to keep schools open during 10 years of war with Russia. Directed by Ukrainian documentary maker Kateryna Gornostai, the two-hour-long…Read more Ukraine doc “Timestamp” is riveting study of schools in wartime

Lanzmann’s epic Holocaust documentary “Shoah” — now more than ever

Claude Lanzmann driving a car at the entrance to the Polish village of Treblinka in July, 1978 during the filming of his documentary "Shoah"French director Claude Lanzmann's Holocaust documentary “Shoah”, first released 40 years ago, had a one-time screening in its 9 1/2-hour entirety at the Berlinale film festival this week that underscored why, as…Read more Lanzmann’s epic Holocaust documentary “Shoah” — now more than ever

Update-Documentary “Sur l’Adamant” takes top Berlinale prize

The French documentary “Sur l’Adamant” (On the Adamant) about mental patients aboard a floating clinic in the Seine river in Paris won the prestigious Golden Bear top prize at the Berlinale film festival on Saturday night. Two films with transgender themes also won top awards. Spanish child actress Sofia Otero, who plays an eight-year-old boy…Read more Update-Documentary “Sur l’Adamant” takes top Berlinale prize

Nuclear “nomads”, mental health, Ukraine in Berlinale spotlight

The boundaries of what documentary filmmakers can do seem to expand all the time and this year the 45 or so documentaries shown at the Berlinale gave a taste of where the format is going. As might be expected of this most political of major European film festivals, documentaries about the war in Ukraine loomed…Read more Nuclear “nomads”, mental health, Ukraine in Berlinale spotlight

Ukraine wins — at the Berlinale film festival in Berlin

The world constantly sees videos of the carnage and suffering Russia is inflicting on neighbouring Ukraine, so what more could the Berlinale film festival have to offer to the understanding of the biggest war in Europe since World War Two? The answer, on the evidence of films and events at the 73rd edition of the…Read more Ukraine wins — at the Berlinale film festival in Berlin