BERLINALE 2025: FIVE MUST-WATCH FILMS YOU CAN’T MISS
As the Berlinale returns for its 75th edition, its programme promises yet another showcase of cinematic artistry from around the world. With an overwhelming number of titles, navigating the festival can be daunting. That’s why we’ve put together a beginner’s guide and a special list to help you make the most of this edition.
Competition: The Run for the Golden Bear
The Competition section is the heart of the Berlinale. It showcases the pinnacle of global cinema, presenting works from renowned directors and emerging talents.
What Does Nature Say to You (Geu jayeoni nege mworago hani)
Dir. Hong Sang-soo
Hong Sang-soo is an acclaimed Korean director. He won the Silver Bear last year for A Traveller’s Need, so naturally, we’re eager to see his new film, What Does Nature Say to You. Hong Sang-soo avoids the intensity of many popular Korean films, and has its own way of making Cinema, with a slower-paced, static shots and plenty of soju drinking!
We follow Donghwa, a poet in his thirties, as he drops off his girlfriend of three years, Junhee, at her house. Struck by its size, he initially plans to take a brief look around the front yard before leaving. However, by chance, he encounters Junhee’s father and unexpectedly spends the entire day with them.
Forum: A Space for Avant-Garde and Experimental Cinema
The Forum section is renowned for its avant-garde and experimental films, often pushing the boundaries of traditional storytelling. Here you will explore innovative narratives and unconventional aesthetics.
Fwends
Dir. Sophie Somerville
The Australian filmmaker Sophie Somerville brings a fresh, deeply touching Gen Z look to the “walking and talking” genre with her debut feature. It is a disarming and fun tale of the end of innocence, while also being a beautiful homage to Melbourne.
When Jessie’s estranged friend from Sydney spontaneously arrives in Melbourne, they spend a weekend together to distract themselves from their many problems and their existential dread. As the night unfolds, unspoken tensions rise, forcing them to confront how much they’ve changed while realizing that, at their core, they might still be the same. Equal parts raw and tender, Fwends is the kind of film that unsettles before it soothes.
Sophie has said, “We’re always hearing about how loneliness is an epidemic these days, especially among young people, and I feel that the constant pressure to make money and succeed smothers and obfuscates our ability to listen to our human needs. It’s easy to feel like the world is crushing you and that you have to make it on your own. It’s much harder to admit that you just need to see your friends.”
Panorama: Bold and Independent Voices
Panorama is dedicated to bold, independent films that tackle contemporary issues and diverse narratives. It’s a platform for stories that challenge, inspire, and provoke thought.
The Heart Is a Muscle
Dir. Imran Hamdulay
In Cape Town, a group of friends are having a barbecue. The day is disrupted when Ryan’s son goes missing. Taking place over one weekend, this sparks a series of incidents which puts a strain on Ryan, his friendships, and his marriage.
This is Imran’s feature directorial debut. Imran’s has been on everyone’s radar for a while now. He is a screenwriter and producer in many award-winning films, and he has also been part of the Berlinale Talents twice, in 2017 and 2022. Now it is the time to see his directing vision.
According to Imran, this film is his attempt at deconstructing masculinity and a way for him to wrestle with these questions but also try to be non judgemental about the characters and the choices they make. The story is inspired by a real incident that happened to him and his friends. “This got me thinking about this moment in my life when my friends and I entered a very new, very adult stage of our lives. We’re at a moment where we’re now facing some of the similar challenges our parents had faced, albeit in a very different world,” he says.
Perspectives: Debut Directors with a Bright Future Ahead.
Perspectives is the international competitive strand for fiction feature debuts that shine a brighter spotlight on new filmmakers within the festival.
We Believe You (On vous croit)
Dir. Charlotte Devillers
The debut feature from the Belgian filmmaker is a quiet yet powerful film that is bound to be one of the festival’s hidden gems. It follows a mother of two as she stands before a judge, fighting to prove she can care for and provide for her children.
As the story unfolds, the film gradually unveils the heartbreaking reality behind her situation, pulling the audience in until the full extent of the tragedy comes to light. Along the way, we witness her struggle with a painful truth while desperately trying to hold everything together. Without a doubt, this will be one of the festival’s most remarkable discoveries.
Charlotte worked with actors and non-actors in this film and the central scene of the story takes 55 minutes and was done in one take. When asked about this choice, Charlotte replied, “first, we wanted the actors to experience the immediacy of a real-life hearing, where there’s only one chance to present yourself. This approach allowed the actors to perform with intensity, reacting spontaneously to the unknown. For the lawyers, who had never acted in front of the camera before, it avoided repetitive retakes. Our tight budget and schedule were also factors: shooting the central scene in one continuous take with three cameras enabled us to complete the entire film in just 13 days.”
Generation: Because the Love for Films Starts Early on.
The Generation section often highlights coming-of-age stories, social issues, and diverse perspectives, offering a mix of animation, live-action, and experimental cinema. It is known for presenting films that challenge, inspire, and engage younger viewers while appealing to adults as well.
Dir. Domini Marshall
Daisy and Lila are best friends. The two 16-year-olds have always shared everything, but now cracks are beginning to show. Daisy has started her periods while Lila is still waiting for hers and feels left behind. At a summer house party in the suburbs, Lila breaks the promise to stick together and quickly ditches Daisy for a boy. A story about friendship, identity and the moments that test what we mean to each other.
While Howl is a work of fiction, many elements are drawn from Domini’s life experiences growing up. According to her, Howl is in a way, a love letter to her best friend but also very relevant to society and kids today. She says, “[the film] aims to explore gender, sexuality and consent in a nuanced way. This wasn’t something I had access to as a teenager, and I think if I did, I might have been better equipped to initiate conversations on consent or navigate the entitlement of boys and men.”
Howl is a short film in the Generation and Berlinale Shorts sections.
Berlinale Special: the festival’s most versatile programme.
Over the years, Berlinale Special has established itself as a space for reflection on film and its history, it is a section that mixes all the others. It is flexible and also characterised by its unusual venues: even the Brandenburg Gate can be transformed into a cinema.
Dir. Bong Joon Ho
Here’s one extra recommendation for you this year. We started with Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo, and now we’re ending with another Korean director—on the opposite end of the spectrum—Oscar-winner Bong Joon Ho.
If the festival experience sounds fun but art-house films aren’t your cup of tea, or if you’re after a big studio movie that still delivers on cinematic mastery, Mickey 17 is the perfect pick. This sci-fi comedy stars Robert Pattinson, Mark Ruffalo, and Naomi Ackie and follows Mickey Barnes, a regular guy with the worst job imaginable—dying for a living. Every time he dies, he gets printed back into existence, again and again. With his signature mix of humor and suspense, Bong Joon Ho delivers a sharp, entertaining critique of social issues, making Mickey 17 a must-watch.
Keep your eyes on the YUN Journal for our next articles covering the 75th edition of the Berlinale!