'The Attendant' at the Berlinale, February 2019

This year, the Berlinale Film Festival presents a special Panorama programme from its 40-year history, including two screenings of Isaac Julien's 1993 work, The Attendant.

In this short film, the eponymous 'attendant' is a middle-aged black man who finds his homoerotic fantasies taking over the museum he supervises when a painting depicting scenes of slavery becomes a tableau vivant of sadomasochistic desire. With this work, Julien explores spatial temporalities in a museum context, commenting on queer history and racial boundaries. 

8'10'', 35mm film, colour, 5.1 sound

with Thomas Baptiste, Cleo Sylvestre, John Wilson

All screenings shown in loving memory of Thomas Baptiste, actor and singer, born, 17 March 1929; died, 6 December 2018.

Tuesday 12 February

2pm, Kino International

Karl-Marx-Allee 33, 10178, Berlin

Wednesday 13 February

 10.30pm, Kino Arsenal 2

Potsdamer Strasse 2, 10785, Berlin

2019 marks the 40th edition of the Panorama section of the Berlinale. Since its initiation in 1980 under the title Info-Schau, the section has presented films intended to inspire and provoke, and to challenge the audience’s viewing and thinking habits. The film selection is simultaneously an offering and a call to look at cinema differently. 

As the only section with an audience award, Panorama has the biggest jury at the Berlinale and regards its audience as a close ally.

With the TEDDY AWARD, Panorama is responsible for the Berlinale’s queer film prize across all sections. This most important and longest-standing award of its kind in the world celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2016.

For more information on screenings and tickets please visit The Berlinale