indieWIRE: On The Scene

Berlinale Talent Campus: The Positive Side of Cultural Globalisation

by Steve Ayorinde/Talent Press

It's simply Planet Talent.

Young, enthusiastic and potentially enterprising filmmakers from every part of the world converging on the 1950s edifice dedicated to the cultures of the world - The House of World Culture. And they represent the positive side of a globalised world.

There is no better way to appreciate the cultural diversity and the creative energy in these people, who are mostly under 30, than in the unity of purpose that has brought them to Berlin. They are all here to celebrate the 7th art and showcase their cultures and worldview under the platform of the Berlinale Talent Campus.

In its third edition this year, the Talent Campus is proving to be an integral part of the Berlinale, and one of the most popular segments. Not even the wintery weather that has brought intermittent showers of rain with it can deny the talents an exciting time in Berlin. More than 500 of them are here to interact, showcase their promise and learn from about 90 film experts from some 21 countries, including directors whose films are in competition. They may also gain useful insights from the special focus of the Talent Campus this year, which is Production Design; but they will not be limited to that.

[Image provided by Talent Press.]

According to the Director of Talent Campus, Christine Dorn, who introduced some of them on Friday at the Sony Centre to officially declare open this year's programme, talents will enjoy the "positive side of cultural globalisation."

"They are the new generation in filmmaking," Dorn says. "They are the next generation. The special thing is that we are proud to have people from many countries and different social backgrounds who we are treated as one - world citizens."

She says nothing is required of the talents except their creative application, which is the reason for the excitement seen in nearly all the talents, be they a group of young talents from the National Film Institute in Nigeria, or an animator from Bulgaria, Andrey Koulov, who wishes "to learn, mix and see everything," or even the ambitious producer from Thailand, Sarawut Chutiwongpeti, who craves a quick transformation into mainstream world of filmmaking.

He may not be day-dreaming afterall, since "the future has already begun," according to the initiator of the Talent Campus, who is also the Director of the Berlinale, Dieter Kosslick. 16 former talents, for example, are taking part in the main festival, with five alumni taking the credit for shooting the opening film of the International Forum of New Cinema.

At the opening ceremony on Friday, the presence of experts like Walter Salles, one of the hosts of the Talent Campus this year and Peter Cowie, the respected film scholar/Critic, who is one of the supervisors of the Talent Press segment, was a source of inspiration to the talents. But their relationship with the experts in the next six days, Dorn says, will be symbiotic. "It's not just about teaching the talents. It's an intellectual exchange", she says.

Huge in participation and apparently deft in organization, Talent Campus however risks alienating other professionals like costume designers and make-up artists who are not represented this year. As participating countries and sponsors grow each year, so should areas of specialisation for participants; what may however be reviewed is the number of participants. With the concept being developed in other countries like India, Ukraine and South Africa, and Argentina following suit in April, only the very best, say about 300, should be invited to Berlin.

Nevertheless, the object of the exercise is not lost at all. Whether they are exhibiting samples of their works, or are receiving awards or just making contacts, the Talent Campus participants this year look good to be touched by this wonderous, even if eclectically intimidating experience. And there is no better demonstration of this reality than the spectacular ambiance they have created at the HWC, where there is nothing other than people, beautiful images on screen, chatter - life!

[For two years, Steve Ayorinde from Nigeria has served as chief film critic of The Punch, the largest circulating daily in Nigeria. He has also worked as an arts journalists for The Guardian and The Comet in Lagos, Nigeria.]