The Berlinale will finally take place in its (almost) traditional format from 10-20 February. The German gathering, one of the three most prestigious festivals in the world, served as a springboard for many independent filmmakers and often gifts the viewers with some of the best films of the year. Cineuropa is proud to present five unmissable titles from Berlinale’s past editions. These films are brought to you in partnership with eyelet, a streaming platform designed to give cinephiles around the world access to the very best in independent cinema. Stay tuned for the new flicks coming your way soon!

City of the Sun [+lee también:
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Presented in the Forum section of the Berlinale and recipient of the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Documentary Film in 2017, Rati Oneli’s non-fiction feature zooms in on two very unconventional characters. Zurab is a music teacher is on a quest to destroy gigantic buildings to keep his sanity and provide for his family, whilst Archil, a miner- turned-actor, has to make a life-altering choice between giving up his dream by quitting theatre or feeding his family by keeping his job at the mines and as a result becoming miserable. The two malnourished champion athletes have to overcome the odds and win the next Olympic games to survive.

Depth Two [+lee también:
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Also showcased in the Forum section, Ognjen Glavonić’s feature took part in the 2016 edition and has been described as “a thriller documentary about a mass grave in the suburbs of Belgrade.” In an attempt to uncover, shed a light on and give a voice to these stories, intentionally buried in silence, the film speaks directly to the sensations, imagination and emotions of the viewer, in a meditative and hypnotic way. The turbulent historical context covered by Depth Two is that of 1999, when NATO was bombing Yugoslavia.

Obscuro Barroco [+lee también:
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Selected in 2018, Greek director Evangelia Kranioti’s essayistic film explores the poetic words of her transgender narrator, Luana Muniz, who is considered an icon of Brazil’s queer subculture. Amidst a somnambulistic tide of images, she enters the pulsating world of creatures of the night. A stream of consciousness from Brazil’s underground flows straight into the heart of the city’s street carnival. Obscure Barroco is a great example of docu-fiction revolving around the themes of gender and metamorphosis set in land of extremes, the city of Rio De Janeiro.

Shut Up and Play the Piano [+lee también:
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A German-British co-production showcased in the Panorama strand of the 2018 edition, Philippe Jedickes’s film is a playful journey full of megalomania and piano music. Shut Up and Play the Piano follows Canadian musician, songwriter and producer Chilly Gonzales: from the Berlin punk scene in the late 1990’s to the international philharmonic orchestras. It's a story of eccentricity which also stars Daft Punk, Feist, Jarvis Cocker and Drake, among others.

Sister [+lee también:
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entrevista: Ursula Meier
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Ursula Meier’s sophomore feature, premiered at the 2012 Berlinale, revolves around twelve-year-old Simon (Kacey Mottet Klein), who lives with his older sister, Louise (Léa Seydoux), in a housing complex below a luxury Swiss ski resort. The young boy supports his sister’s selfish lifestyle by stealing equipment from wealthy skiers, then refurbishing and reselling it. What can go wrong?

Discover new titles from Cineuropa and Eyelet here: cineuropa.eyelet.com