was, in hindsight, quite fortunate. The 70th edition of the Berlinale and the European Film Market took place without a hitch Feb. 7-17, shortly before most of the world went into lockdown due to coronavirus.
We have two goals to fulfil: one is to support the film industry through our selection, but also give them a space to meet, even though this meeting won’t happen face-to-face, but rather online. The other goal is very particular and very dear to Berlin: it’s to be able to offer a theatrical experience to our audience.
Yes, if that’s the angle you want to use. My angle is that the first step is the market, which is bigger than our lineup. So, the first step is the market, [Berlinale Talents], the World Cinema Fund and the Co-Production Market taking place. In order to support the market, of course, the Berlinale 71 lineup will be there and we are confident that it will support the market. But it’s not going to be an online version of the festival, because the festival itself is the sum of the two events.