The charm of the shameless.

Youth are explored: This motto seems to follow the youth program of the Berlinale. Never before was it so seriously and so sexy. The films dare unobstructed views of young lives - and let the adult competition look pretty old.

 

Bare skin, groping hands, groaning Leiber. Already in the title of the film "Unmade Beds" the unmade beds, through which his protagonists do gymnastics. That would be nothing unusual for the Berlinale film festival, for their competition or to explicitly gay themes emergence Panorama section. "Unmade Beds" but to open "14plus", one half of the rail program, which until not too long nor Kinderfilmfest said.

But the Children's Film Festival is no more. It has grown up, long. For the third time is it now "generation," and probably never before been so seriously, so ripe and so sexy. Quite obviously, the Mary Anne Redpath, for the first time the program is responsible for the section: "Maybe this year are actually a few explicit scenes longer than usual to see us, but it's not just about sex but about sexuality and love, and thus themes that employ young people and children. "

Indeed covers "Generation" with its two subdivisions "Kplus" (with films for children up to 13 years) and "14plus" (for adolescents aged 14) far more than the classic children's film. You can see movies for and about children and adolescents. And in the astonishing quality: Regular Berlinale visitors know that in 1978 established section often much less spectacular failures than in the rest of the festival.

The reason is simple: The former Children's Film Festival has the most lax guidelines of the Film Festival and the largest selection. While alone in the competition world premieres will be shown, is "Generation" not even in direct competition with the other two A-festivals in Cannes and Venice. Redpath and their employees can choose from all the movies that are still not in Germany to be seen, this year alone have been viewed 1100 contributions.

The program covers once again a wide range of visual languages, themes, cultures and stories from ", takes place since 1993 for the active section Redpath. This starts with the traditional children's film as a rather harmless entertainment "Mamma Mu & Kråkan", a Swedish-German-Hungarian co-production, in which a cow and a crow discover their friendship with each other. Presented on films in which children's vision from a glance at the world is thrown, such as the Czech contribution "by Kdopak se vlka bál? Who fear of the wolf," in which the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale is interwoven with a divorce history. And culminates in the dark drama of self-Dutch "Het zusje van Katia? Katias sister", in which the adolescent protagonist in the Russian immigrant milieu to face is that all potential role models of their money in the red light milieu deserve.

Drugs, violence - and of course Sex

Similarly, the implementation is different: While the Turkish contribution "Mommo" in epic, sometimes exhilarating widescreen images heartbreaking story of a sibling pair violated in the Anatolian province in scene shows the Oscar-winning Australian Adam Elliot with "Mary and Max" that he his black humor is not lost. The absurdity of all aspects covering letter of friendship from plasticine shaped hero comes almost less funny than to cry.

Other films to target the minor isolated Maori living in New Zealand ( "The Strength of Water"), in the Mongolian steppe ( "The Voice of the Eagle") or in an Iranian village ( "Niloofar"). It is about the death to crime to civil war, the handling traditions and over again to himself, search for identity, sexual orientation.

Time fathers insane ( "I Know You Know"), sometimes the mother dies ( "Glowing Stars"), sometimes the reality is lost ( "Flickan? The Girl"), sometimes makes an Abkhaz refugee child to find his missing father ( "Gagma Napiri - the other shore").

All these films are not at all the idea that many of the section to make. Perhaps because of the longstanding name Kinderfilmfest is today? even among film journalists - the widespread stereotype that it is a kind of "kindergarten at the Berlinale," in which the young man parked in the Ballbad at Ikea. This is no longer so. "Generation" is not only the only festival for children and young people, the official part of an A-film festivals, but now the world's most prestigious of its kind

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Only logical, then, that now also part of the documentary program. To tell in the German production "Teenage Response thirteen teenagers and young adults are 156 minutes long from the experience with their bodies, drugs, violence - and of course sex.

It is clear, as in many other contributions of "Generation": The YouPorn era has arrived in cinemas, at least in the Western societies. Films like the two oppressive American indie productions "After School" and "My Suicide" to show how the use of modern media life adolescent structured and determined. And as he their sexual awakening and experiencing possibly deformed.

The alternative comes from Asia. "Miao Miao" is a sensitive, romantic and poetic journey into the sexual phase determination of three teenagers in Taiwan. Gay and lesbian, heterosexual or bi, everything seems possible, but such opportunities would be discussed explicitly. Love is love, no matter with whom.

"Miao Miao" is the first film of a planned series of Jet Tone, the production company of Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai under the heading "Multi-sexual youth market wants. This new multi-sexual freedom, the orientation without ideological blinkers and social constraints may be, like in most societies still a utopia. But thanks to "Generation" finds them already on the canvas.

From the Children's Film Festival has become a trend setter.