In order to contextualise the new, we follow the key festivals by looking at how their current lineup connects to films already in the DAFilms catalogue.
This selection brings together earlier works by filmmakers whose new films are premiering at Berlinale 2026, alongside some titles that enter this year’s programme through retrospectives, restorations, or special sections.
The programme highlights filmmakers with a long-standing relationship to the festival. Angela Schanelec, returning to the International Competition this year with My Wife Cries, is represented by Passing Summer that already signals her distinctive approach to time and narration. Ulrike Ottinger, whose The Blood Countess starring Isabelle Huppert will show in Berlinale Special Gala, appears here with Freak Orlando, a film emblematic of her performative and visionary cinema. Radu Jude, a frequent presence in Berlinale programmes, returning now with a new short Shot Reverse Shot, is included with The Dead Nation that reflects his sustained engagement with archives and historical memory.
The selection also reflects Berlinale’s attention to film history and preservation. Sad Song of Touha appears here in connection with its newly restored version, shown in Forum Expanded. Barbara Hammer’s Nitrate Kisses echoes Brydie O'Connor’s debut biography Barbara Forever shown in Forum Special.
Alongside these works, the programme brings together films from directors selected for the 2026 Forum, Forum Expanded, Panorama, Shorts, and Berlinale Special, tracing thematic and formal continuities across different sections and generations.
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