Berlinale 2027 retrospective 'Rage Against the Machine' marks 100 years of 'Metropolis'
For the centenary of Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis', the 2027 Berlinale will screen visions of the future and rebellion – from 'RoboCop' to a restored British rarity.
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The retrospective at the 77th Berlin International Film Festival marks an anniversary: 100 years after Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis' premiered in Berlin, the Berlinale and the Deutsche Kinemathek have titled it 'Rage Against the Machine.' About 20 films on dystopian futures and resistance are planned, focusing on urbanism, artificial intelligence, feminism and capitalism. The full lineup is due in December.
Titles already announced include Paul Verhoeven's 'RoboCop' (1987), Muscha's underground film 'Decoder' (1984), Rintaro's anime 'Metropolis' (2001) and Helma Sanders-Brahms' 'The Last Days of Gomorrah' (1974). Ngozi Onwurah's 'Welcome II the Terrordome' (1995), regarded as the first British feature film by a Black woman director, will screen in a new restoration. "100 years after Metropolis, the focus is on directors who create their own worlds and visions of the future," said Heleen Gerritsen, artistic director of the Deutsche Kinemathek and head of the retrospective (translated from German).
Alongside, the Deutsche Kinemathek will present the exhibition 'The Metropolis Century – Dystopia and Rebellion' from March 18 to Sept. 26, 2027, with panel talks planned at the E-Werk. The Berlinale runs Feb. 10–21, 2027, one day longer than before.