Austrian Feo Aladag, Peruvian Claudia Llosa, Iranian-Austrian Sudabeh Mortezai, and Argentine Celina Murga will compete for the top prize at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival.
Actress-turned-filmmaker Aladag first received international notice with When We Leave, a drama about so-called “honor killings” within the Turkish-German community. Inbetween Worlds is her second film.
Llosa won the Golden Bear in 2009 with The Milk of Sorrow. She returns to Berlin with Aloft, which centers on an estranged and traumatic mother-son relationship. Starring Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy, and Melanie Laurent, Aloft will be Llosa’s biggest film to date.
Mortezai’s Macondo is the director’s first narrative feature. Her film debut was the documentary Children of the Prophet, a look at Iranian mourning rituals for Imam Hossein, the Prophet Mohammad’s grandson.
Murga arguably enjoys the highest profile stateside of these four women. She was chosen by Martin Scorsese to participate in the Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative several years ago, and the Wolf of Wall Street helmer serves as executive producer on her new coming-of-age film. Her previous films include Ana and the Others and A Week Alone.
Somewhat confusingly, 23 films are in the Competition category, but only 20 will actually contend for the top prize. Scroll down for a list of the female competitors for the Golden Bear:
La tercera orilla (The Third Side of the River)
Argentina / Germany / Netherlands
By Celina Murga (A Week Alone, Ana and the Others, Normal School)
With Alian Devetac, Daniel Veronese, Gaby Ferrero, Irina Wetzel, Dylan Agostini van del Boch
World premiere
Macondo
Austria
By Sudabeh Mortezai — feature debut
With Ramasan Minkailov, Aslan Elbiev, Kheda Gazieva
World premiere
Zwischen Welten (Inbetween Worlds)
Germany
By Feo Aladag (When We Leave)
With Ronald Zehrfeld
World premiere
Aloft
Spain / Canada / France
By Claudia Llosa (The Milk of Sorrow)
With Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy, Melanie Laurent
World premiere
