Toto Orso, between Favolacce and Never Rarely

In the not easy Toto Orso of this edition of the Berlin Film Festival, the 70 / a that closes on Saturday night, according to rumors, are mainly five films: DAU. NATASHA by Ilya Khrzhanovskiy and Jekaterina Oertel; Christian Petzold's dreamlike UNDINE; MY LITTLE SISTER by Stéphanie Chuat and Véronique Reymond, film between pain and theater and finally, in pole position, our FABOLACCE by Damiano and Fabio D'Innocenzo (on which many Italian correspondents point to the Berlinale) and the indie movie with abortion, NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS by Eliza Hittman. And this, when only two films are missing that will pass tomorrow: IRRADIÉS Rithy Panh and the highly rated Iranian THERE IS NO EVIL by Mohammad Rasoulof. On the Italian front does not end here, I WANT TO HIDE by Giorgio Rights could in fact run for the Bear to the best actor to assign to Elio Germano who, among other things, is also one of the protagonists of FAVOLACCE. Returning to SAD. NATASHA by Ilya Khrzhanovskiy has a unique Sado-Maso anthropological experimentation and, above all, the truth of a project that recalls a Stalinist Truman Show capable of freeing the dark areas of man. Against this film there is instead the scandal of some sequences that may not appeal especially to the president of the jury Jeremy Irons. But it is NEVER, RARELY, SOMETIMES ALWAYS by Eliza Hittman that brings everyone together. An on-the-road story of a 17-year-old rural Pennsylvania struggling with abortion, difficult to live and tell, if not in New York. UNDINE by German director Christian Petzold oscillates between love, myth, fairy tale and history of Berlin and yet another German film such as MY LITTLE SISTER by Stéphanie Chuat and Véronique Reymond - which mixes, love of theater, Shakespeare, pain, poetry and bond between twins - it looks perfect for Jeremy Irons' tastes. The flywheel of the film then the performance of Lars Eidinger, a homosexual theatrical actor who falls ill with a form of aggressive leukemia. He may receive a well-deserved prize for best actor. Other Palmares worthy films should not be underestimated FIRST COW by Kelly Reichardt, an anomalous western for women along the shores of Oregon. In the jury, besides Irons, also Luca Marinelli, who has lived in Berlin for years; Berenice Bejo (Argentina / France); the German producer Bettina Brokemper; Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir; the American playwright and director Kenneth Lonergan and the Brazilian critic and director Kleber Mendonca Filho. AND SIBERIA by Abel Ferrara? This 70% share of Italy did not have a good reception from the foreign press, but some images such as that of the black sun in a cave remained in the hearts of many. (