by Mia Butter // Feb. 11, 2025
A program that walks the line between art and film for each edition, Forum Expanded creates a space for expanded cinematic forms. As the Berlinale’s segment for experimental film, Forum Expanded invites artists with a finger on the pulse of contemporary topics to their 20th edition, running from February 13th to 23rd and presenting 24 works from 21 countries. Celebrating this anniversary, a collection of short films from the previous 19 years will be shown with free entry, for those interested in the festival section’s history. Under the title ‘19 Going on 20’, three local venues—SAVVY Contemporary, silent green Kulturquartier and SİNEMA TRANSTOPIA—will be screening the films in a loop all day for visitors.
The theme for this edition is ‘Methods of Translucence,’ encompassing works that tackle themes of ongoing conflicts and colonialism–reflecting our preset. According to Ulrich Ziemons, the head of Forum Expanded: “The films and installations in this year’s selection frequently hinge on intervention rather than observation. Be it through tinted glass, virtual reality, historical speculation or sonic augmentation: the works actively project ideas, images and sounds that alter how we perceive reality and refract our view of the world.” Below are five highlights selected from the line-up of Forum Expanded’s 20th edition.
Alisa Berger: ‘RAPTURE’
silent green Kulturquartier
berlinale.de
Exhibition: Feb. 15–23; 12–10pm
Betonhalle, Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, click here for map
Alisa Berger’s dual-channel video and VR installation ‘RAPTURE’ tells the story of Ukrainian Vogue dancer, Marko, and a VR confrontation with his abandoned and inaccessible Donbas apartment. Returning to his apartment is not an option, and would lead to an immediate conscription into the Russian army–where he would have to fight against his own country. Only accessible in the virtual realm, the protagonist is transported back home. Using a 3D photogrammetry scan based on photographs taken inside the apartment, this is the first time that Marko has “returned” to his apartment since 2018.
Caroline Monnet: ‘Pidikwe’
Kino Arsenal
arsenal-berlin.de
Screening: Feb 18; 3pm, Feb. 19; 9:30pm, Feb. 21; 8pm
Potsdamer Straße 2, 10785 Berlin, click here for map
Merging traditional and contemporary dance, ‘Pidikwe’ (Rumble) challenges the line between where film ends and performance begins. Director Caroline Monnet supposes an alternative cultural history including Indigenous women across generations. While referencing the links between the Roaring Twenties and our contemporary society, the film questions the widely incorrect representations present in early cinema. ‘Pidikwe’ allows the women depicted to reclaim their image and enter on a journey of self-determination.
Mahmoud Ibrahim: ‘Akher Youm’
Kino Arsenal
arsenal-berlin.de
Screening: Feb 15; 4:30pm, Feb. 17; 9pm, Feb. 22; 10am
Potsdamer Straße 2, 10785 Berlin, click here for map
In his debut short film, ‘Akher Youm’ (The Last Day), Egyptian filmmaker Mahmoud Ibrahim depicts a somber reality. Forced to leave their Cairo family home due to a scheduled demolition, two brothers, Ziad and Moody, hear the news of Palestinian home demolitions in Sheikh Jarrah. As they move the furniture from their home, Ibrahim captures a duality–a shadow cast on their last day.
Neda Saeedi: ‘Sinking Suns’
silent green Kulturquartier
berlinale.de
Exhibition: Feb. 15–23; 12–10pm
Betonhalle, Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, click here for map
On view at silent green’s Betonhalle, Neda Saeedi’s 2024 installation ‘Sinking Suns’ creates a landscape of light and color using colorful glass objects on overhead projectors. Illuminating the Betonhalle while playing with fragility and strength, Saeedi provides the viewer with the source of these light sculptures, however, awareness is not equivalent to control. Through her three-dimensional light painting, Saeedi creates an immersive room installation that engulfs visitors through their presence, posing the question: what happens when all the suns set at the same time?
‘Alternatives Denkmal für Deutschland’ (ADfD)
silent green Kulturquartier
berlinale.de
Exhibition: Feb. 15–23; 12–10pm
Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, click here for map
The ‘Alternatives Denkmal für Deutschland’ (ADfD) opposes xenophobic narratives in Germany and the European Union, creating monuments commemorating migration through a multi-sensory, digital experience. From queer, feminist and migrant-centered perspectives, the project evolved through community gatherings and workshops, discussing the preservation of migration memories. The ADfD bridges the digital and physical realms via overlapping imagery, augmented reality and sound, using recognizable references to displacement such as the Ishtar Gate, built into the Pergamon Museum after its excavation from Babylon. During Forum Expanded, the augmented reality installation ‘ADfD’ will be showcased in the garden of silent green Kulturquartier.
