Highlights for the week of February 12-18
Фото: Anthony Tran, Unsplash
Lots of news from the movie and anime world this week. The opening of the Berlinale, for example. But beyond that, there's a rather unusual statistic that has to do with... teeth.
Berlinale opening
The film festival officially began last Thursday, February 15, and will run through February 25. A total of 200 films have been announced this year, which is significantly less than the 287 films announced for the 2023 festival. The smaller number of films is due to economic reasons.
In spite of the reduction in the total running time, the number of films in competition in the main category will be the same — 20. As always, the jury will have to evaluate works of various genres: from acute social drama to futuristic dystopia, thriller and even a horror film, which are quite rare in the main category.
However, the festival will be remembered not only for this, but also for the numerous protests. On the opening day alone, there were three: against the growing right-wing extremist movement in Germany, as well as the filmmakers' action for better working conditions.
Yubaba wins in Hokkaido
Of course, we're not talking about the witch from the Oscar-winning film "Spirited Away." We're talking about her ice sculpture. Early February is the time for the traditional Sapporo Festival, which has finally returned to the streets after several years of pandemic.
The antagonist witch turned out to be so realistic and similar to her colored version from the anime that she easily beat her main competitors in the voting at the end of the festival.
Now the authors of this sculpture and the other finalists will have to come up with a creative concept for next year: they will automatically receive an invitation to the next festival. This is a very important moment, because usually the right to participate is drawn by lot due to lack of space.
The tooth fairy has been hit by inflation
One of the most beloved fictional characters by children (and how can you not love her when she brings money for all sorts of nonsense?) is suffering from modern society. In the U.S., for example, the average cost of a gift has risen from 2 dollars in 2001 to over 6 dollars in 2023!
Some parents, like a family from the UK, may give their children not only traditional coins, but also designer jewelry: a bracelet or a necklace. There is a danger in this well-intentioned desire to mark important milestones in a child's life.
Some children begin discussing what the tooth fairy has brought them with their friends and are genuinely surprised when the gifts don't match. Parents of those whose gifts were less than expected need to explain that not all fairies are generous and may offer expensive bonuses for the loss of baby teeth.
