The Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) has announced that 74-year old Greek-French Oscar-winning filmmaker Constantin Costa-Gavras (“Missing’) will head the jury for its 58th edition, which runs from 7 to 17 February 2008.
Costa-Gavras is known for making films with overt political themes like “Z’. He won the Berlinale’s top award, the Golden Bear, in 1980 for “Music Box’.
Berlinale will present its Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement to 85-year-old Italian writer-director Francesco Rosi whose films take a critical look at the political, economic and intellectual developments in Italy. The award will be presented to Rosi on 14 February as part of the festival’s “Homage’. Thirteen of Rosi’s films will be screened, including “Salvatore Giuliano’, which won the Berlinale’s Silver Bear in 1962.
The “Retrospective’ of the 2008 Berlinale will honor Spanish director Luis Bunuel, who died in 1983, by presenting a comprehensive programme of his works. It will also include films to which he contributed as assistant director, screenwriter and/or producer. A series of events with lectures and discussion panels will supplement the film programme. Bunuel’s “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie’ won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 1973.
