Queen of the Desert, starring Nicole Kidman and Robert Pattinson, added to Berlinale competition line-up; Mr. Holmes, starring Ian McKellen as an aged Sherlock, to play out of competition.

Queen of the Desert behind the scenes

The 65th Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 5-15) has added a further eight titles to its Competition programme, ahead of the complete line-up next week.

The films, which originate from across Europe, Asia, the US and the Middle East, include the world premiere of Queen of the Desert, Werner Herzog’s biopic based on the life of British explorer Gertrude Bell.

Nicole Kidman plays the 19th century explorer, known as the female Lawrence of Arabia, and her co-stars include James Franco, Damian Lewis and Robert Pattinson (as TE Lawrence).


Berlinale 2015: new Competition films

Body (Poland) WP
By Malgorzata Szumowska
With Janusz Gajos, Maja Ostaszewska, Justyna Suwala

Cha và con và (Big Father, Small Father and Other Stories) (Vietnam / France / Germany / Netherlands) WP
By Di Phan Dang
With Do Thi Hai Yen, Le Cong Hoang, Truong The Vinh

Journal d’une femme de chambre (Diary of a Chambermaid) (France / Belgium) WP
By Benoit Jacquot
With Léa Seydoux, Vincent Lindon, Clotilde Mollet, Hervé Pierre, Vincent Lacoste

Mr. Holmes (UK) WP out-of-compeition
By Bill Condon
With Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Milo Parker, Hiroyuki Sanada, Hattie Morahan

Queen of the Desert (US) WP
By Werner Herzog
With Nicole Kidman, James Franco, Damian Lewis, Robert Pattinson

Taxi (Iran) WP
By Jafar Panahi
With Jafar Panahi

Victoria (Germany) WP
By Sebastian Schipper
With Laia Costa, Frederick Lau, Franz Rogowski, Burak Yigit, Max Mauff, André M. Hennicke

Yi bu zhi yao (Gone with the Bullets) (People’s Republic of China / USA / Hong Kong, China) IP
By Wen Jiang
With Wen Jiang, You Ge, Yun Zhou, Qi Shu, Huang Hung

The complete Competition programme will be announced next week.