2025’s Berlin International Film Festival has officially come and gone in the blink of an eye. Josh and Allison have all the scoop on some of the festival’s most enthralling additions. Don’t miss our full coverage, after the jump!
Films
HOW TO BE NORMAL AND THE ODDNESS OF THE OTHER WORLD
Full review at the link.
LESBIAN SPACE PRINCESS
Fans of Adventure Time, look no further for your next obsession. Lesbian Space Princess takes us on a journey through “Gay Space” as Saira (Shabana Azeez) races to save her girlfriend, Kiki (Bernie Van Tiel), from the nefarious clutches of the Straight White Maliens. Along the way, Saira meets a bisexual musician named Willow (Gemma Chua-Tran) and an antiquated sentient spaceship with sacred views of traditional love. This animated curiosity leans heavily into its queer trappings. An overabundance of lesbian pop culture references could only have been envisioned by a member of the LGBT+ community. I was thrilled at the instantly-recognizable voice of Drag Race Down Under’s Kween Kong showing up as Blade, one of the many movie references housed within. Even The Twilight Saga: New Moon receives a surprisingly apt homage. This gives Lesbian Space Princess a distinct voice often lacking in modern animated clones. Where we start to lose the plot a bit so to speak is in Saira’s interpersonal relationships, or the lack of development with the villains. Resolving major threats in anticlimactic ways would probably feel less glaring in a television format. While the bold creativity shines, the story lacks depth, making it feel more like a series of chaotic sketches rather than a fully-formed narrative. This animated film may be very original, yet it comes up a bit short in the narrative department. I could not help but feel it would work better as a television series.
SANDBAG DAM
Full review at the link.
SPACE CADET
Full review at the link.
TALES FROM THE MAGIC GARDEN
Ever on the hunt for stop-motion animated offerings, Tales From The Magic Garden instantly stuck out to me on 2025’s Berlinale Film Festival slate. This simple tale follows three grandchildren who aim to get their grief-stricken grandfather back to normalcy shortly after the death of their grandma. As part of a cherished family tradition, everyone shares stories. In this case, we are treated to three distinct and altogether quite different types of fables that reflect the larger themes at play. Despite stunning animation and atmosphere, the stories feel incomplete, lacking the depth needed to leave a lasting emotional impact. They are just too short to have the necessary thrust. The fairytale logic shines greatest in the first, one in which a cat transforms into an Aunt in order to save two orphans from being carted away to a children’s home after the untimely death of their parents. As each tale truly gets going, it abruptly concludes. The nostalgic energy and beauty of the animation do much of the heavy lifting, but Tales From the Magic Garden lacks in the narrative department.
WE BELIEVE YOU
(Written by Intern, Alecia Wilk) Arnaud Duefys and Charlotte Devillers put their all into representing the harrowing trials of experience of domestic assault victims in the justice system. Unsettling from the very beginning, We Believe You zooms in on one mother’s horror in navigating family court to determine whether she can keep her children from the custody of their sexually abusive father. Before revealing any details of the case, Devillers and Dufeys do diligence to communicate the absolutely unnerving environment of the proceedings. Mixing human noise and instrumentals into a sound both disturbing and provocative, anxiety marinates across a black screen. Finally, Alice (Myriem Akheddiou) appears, it has been her unsteady breathing in the background. Using a handheld to frame her tightly, the powerful sense of shakiness never dissipates. As the abuse is discussed, it is never pictured. In fact, camera movement obscures any roughness on the children’s bodies. Even as Alice struggles to wrangle Etienne (Ulysse Goffin) onto a bus to the courthouse, the commotion is concealed by videography. This only amplifies the resonance of contact which has been charged with fear and loathing, and makes an exemplary stance against the need to visually portray assault to convey the depth of its heinousness. The abuser’s presence is alluded to as well, he is felt before he is seen. Upon making their entrance, Alice is constantly looking beyond the camera. Her paranoia is infectious and traps viewers with her in the powerlessness of uncertainty. Myriem Akheddiou does magnificently to communicate the emotional turmoil of a mom in this situation. Distress is constantly bubbling beneath the surface during the prosecution, giving a keen sense of the injustice of the very trial. As Lila (Adèle Pinckaers) and Etienne are taken from her sight, exposed to their abuser and at risk of losing custodial protection, Alice must maintain decorum. Stewing in turmoil throughout her husband’s legal defense, scenes register with the impossibility of needing to remain unperturbed while her children’s wellbeing is placed in the hands of strangers. Taking place entirely at the tribunal, the conscienceless oversights of the justice system have never felt more threatening than in We Believe You.
For ticketing and more general information about the festival, please head over to the official website.