“The Devil’s Bath” in the competition for the Golden Bear; ORF reporting and 3sat focus
Vienna (OTS) – The ORF is represented with four films and one series at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, which will take place from February 15th to 25th, 2024: Veronika Franz’ and Severin Fiala’s “Des Teufels Bad” is up for a Golden Bear hope. “Andrea is getting a divorce”, “Favorites” and “Sleeping with a Tiger” also celebrate their world premieres. The ORF/ARD miniseries “Kafka” is part of the “Series Market Selects”. This year, the ORF program is once again dedicated to the renowned film festival – on television, among others, in “kulturMontag” (February 19th, 10:30 p.m., ORF 2), in the special program “The Bears Are Losing” (February 24th, 12:00 a.m., ORF 2) and in “Culture Today” (weekdays, 7:45 p.m., ORF III). 3sat accompanies the Berlinale with live broadcasts of the opening gala and the awarding of the bears, international film productions and detailed reporting in the magazine “Kulturzeit”. The ORF radios and the ORF.at network are also dedicated to the festival.
The ORF at the Berlinale
The Berlinale 2024 program includes four productions co-financed by ORF as part of the film/television agreement, which will celebrate their world premiere at the festival: The historical drama “Des Teufels Bad” by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala (director and screenplay) is dedicated to the fate of a deeply religious and sensitive young woman – played by Anja Plaschg – a previously unexplored chapter of European (women’s) history and is therefore in competition for a Golden Bear. Other roles include David Scheid and Maria Hofstätter. The “Encounters” section includes Ruth Beckermann’s documentary “Favoriten”. The Austrian filmmaker accompanies a Viennese elementary school class for three years, recording the film despite adverse conditions – a combination of children, more than 60 percent of whom do not have German as their first language, and an acute shortage of teachers and carers amazingly cheerful portrait of an unusual community. Represented in the “Forum” is Anja Salomonowitz’s (director and screenplay) feature documentary “Sleeping with a Tiger,” which is dedicated to the Austrian painter Maria Lassnig. A feature film about her art of painting and her love stories, a documentary about the harshness of the male art scene that confronted her – or vice versa. With Birgit Minichmayr, Johanna Orsini, Lukas Watzl and Oskar Haag, among others. Birgit Minichmayr also appears as the titular protagonist in “Andrea Gets a Divorce” in “Panorama”. In the drama by director, screenwriter and actor Josef Hader, in which Robert Stadlober and Thomas Schubert also appear in other roles, she wants to end her unhappy marriage and start a new job as a criminal inspector, at least until her husband drives in front of her drunk runs and she commits a hit-and-run. However, someone else believes the culprit is a religious teacher and – at least until before the accident – a dry alcoholic.
Represented in the “Series Market Selects” and thus selected as one of 15 curated series with high market potential is the miniseries “Kafka,” directed by David Schalko and co-produced by ORF and all ARD channels, about one of the most famous writers of the 20th century, whose death anniversary will be 100 years old in 2024. With, among others, Joel Basman, David Kross, Nicholas Ofczarek, Liv Lisa Fries, Lia von Blarer, Tamara Romera Ginés, Robert Stadlober, Verena Altenberger, Charly Hübner, Lars Eidinger, Katharina Thalbach, Marie-Lou Sellem, Christian Friedel, Michael Maertens, Jan Bülow, Laurence Rupp, Marie-Luise Stockinger, Robert Palfrader, Johannes Silberschneider, André Pohl, Thomas Maurer, Alexander Pschill, Gerhard Liebmann, Raimund Wallisch and Tobias Bamborschke.
The Berlinale on ORF TV
As part of its current reporting, the ORF is devoting itself to the 74th Berlin International Film Festival: “kulturMontag” on February 19th (10:30 p.m., ORF 2) will focus on the last festival edition of the outgoing artistic director duo Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian and take a look on this year’s program as well as Austrian (co-)productions and filmmakers at the renowned German film event. On Saturday, February 24th, the special program “Die Bären sind los” (12:00 a.m., ORF 2; Dacapo on February 25th, 9:05 a.m., ORF 2) with Christian Konrad and Alexander Bogner reports on the “awards ceremony and highlights of the 74th. Berlinale” presents the most interesting films and events and presents the newly crowned winners of the largest audience festival in the world. ORF III is accompanying this year’s Berlinale as part of the cultural magazine “Kultur Today” (weekdays, 7:45 p.m.).
The Berlinale 2024 in 3sat: Galas live, current reports in “Kulturzeit” and the film series “Arthouse Kino”
3sat is accompanying the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in its program from Wednesday, February 14th to Monday, February 26th, 2024: The opening gala and the bear award ceremony can be seen live. The 3sat magazine “Kulturzeit” offers current reporting from and about the Berlinale and ten exceptional international film productions can be seen in the film series “Arthouse Kino” (details can be found at https://pressetreff.3sat.de/programm).
The Berlinale on the ORF.at network, on ORF TELETEXT, on ORF ON and on Ö1
The ORF.at network – for example on topos.ORF.at – is also dedicated to the festival as part of cultural reporting, with particular attention to the Austrian contributions to the Berlinale. Programs and contributions from the ORF TV program for the festival will be available on ORF ON and in the ORF TVthek (app and web), provided the appropriate online license rights are available. The ORF TELETEXT provides current information about the Berlinale on its culture pages. Ö1 is currently reporting in the “Journalen” and the “Kulturjournal”.