Berlinale plans film project for the 2024 European Championships
With the Berlinale Meets Football project, the International Film Festival wants to participate in the cultural program of the 2024 European Football Championship. The film project is intended to contribute to "promoting the creative expressiveness of young soccer enthusiasts", according to a statement in Berlin on Wednesday. Eleven clubs in Germany with diverse backgrounds were selected for the filming.
"Football is a community game that strengthens team spirit and can promote exchange, understanding and social cohesion. Soccer and cinema are therefore a good match - films are created collectively and the cinema is also a place of encounter and exchange, where empathy and understanding are awakened," said Berlinale directors Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian.
Young footballers are the protagonists of documentary short films by students of the Munich University of Television and Film under the artistic direction of the production company Benedetta Films. The resulting compilation film will be premiered at the festival in February.
The patrons of the film project are tournament director Philipp Lahm and DFB vice-president Celia Šašić. "Berlinale Meets Football also stands for diversity and sustainability, for inclusion and integration," said Lahm. "This project is therefore a role model for society and embodies the values and goals of Uefa Euro 2024 in Germany." For Šašić, the soccer pitch and cinema are important meeting places. "They are intercultural meeting places that give completely different people from completely different backgrounds a common space and thus create a connection."
Alongside Cannes and Venice, the Berlinale is one of the most important international film festivals. The next edition is planned from February 15 to 25, 2024.
The soccer-themed film project by Berlinale will be showcased at the renowned Berlinale Film Festival in 2024, which is known to be one of the three most important international cinematic events alongside Cannes and Venice. The festival's cinemas serve as a platform for social connections, much like soccer fields promote unity and understanding among diverse individuals.
As part of the 2024 European Championships, the Berlinale's Movie Meets Football initiative aims to highlight howdocumentaries about soccer can foster creativity in young enthusiasts, encouraging empathy and collaboration similar to teamwork in soccer.
The upcoming European Football Championship plans to champion diversity and sustainability, aligning with the inclusive values showcased in the Berlinale Meets Soccer project, which also features frequent appearances of soccer fields as cultural meeting spaces.
Source: www.dpa.com
