Berlin & Beyond returns to Rialto Cinemas Elmwood on March 30 & 31, showcasing four films. Now in its 28th season, the Berlin & Beyond Film Festival continues to be a leading light of contemporary German cinema exhibition in the Americas, by both audience size and programming scope. Over 500 motion pictures from German-speaking countries, produced in over 30 different countries, have screened at Berlin & Beyond to over 200,000 attendees, from independent works to studio pictures to topical documentaries and shorts from the filmmakers of tomorrow.
The Door-to-Door Bookstore
Sunday, March 30 1pm
Not Rated
108 mins
Comedy, Drama, Family
Cinematic vision of the bestselling novel by Carsten Henn: Carl’s life runs like clockwork: every day, he goes door-to-door delivering books to a handful of loyal customers…MORE INFO
Two to One
Sunday, March 30 3:45pm
Not Rated
116 mins
Comedy, Crime, Romance
Halberstadt, summer 1990: a group of clever East Germans seizes the chaotic post-GDR era to retrieve hidden millions from an underground vault. As they outsmart formidable opponents, the heist takes an unexpected turn when money officially unrecognized in the GDR circulates…MORE INFO
Beyond the Blue Border
Monday, March 31 3:00pm
Not Rated
102 mins
Drama
GDR, August 1989: Hanna and Andreas became a target of the secret police and had to give up their plans for their future studies and desired professions. Instead, they face arbitrariness, mistrust and reprisals. Their only chance for a self-determined life lies in fleeing across the Baltic Sea. 50 kilometers of water separate them from freedom – and only a thin connecting rope around their wrists saves them from absolute loneliness…MORE INFO
Weddings and Wokes: A Family Dilemma
Monday, March 31 5:30pm
Not Rated
90 mins
Comedy
Anna and Florian want to get married and unite their families in a ski resort in Tirol. But the celebratory atmosphere is on the verge of collapse as discussions about helicopter parents, wokeness and the meaning of sensibility training arise. This is third of Sönke Wortmann’s familial tragicomedies, following How About Adolf? and Family Affairs, which both screened at previous Berlin & Beyond Film Festivals…MORE INFO
John Cranko
Monday, March 31 7:45pm
Not Rated
133 mins
Biography, Drama
Prosecuted for homosexual activity in London, up-and-coming choreographer John Cranko is stranded in Stuttgart, Germany in 1960. With his charming demeanor, the manic workaholic swiftly revitalizes the ballet company of this rather sleepy, sympathetic city. After a controversial replacement of the prima donna and a series of new additions, Cranko’s first production of Romeo and Juliet is a sensational success: the emotional performances of his dancers move the audience to tears. Cranko becomes the darling of the public, with a soon globally renowned ensemble, invited to perform at prestigious venues such as New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Driven by a quest for perfection in both art and love, Cranko grapples with destructive private setbacks, plunging into periods of profound loneliness and depression. However, as long as his devoted dancers stand by him, he sees no reason to alter his intoxicating lifestyle…MORE INFO
