Edward Berger: “Festivals are the museums of cinema”

Director and producer Edward Berger participated last Saturday in a press conference at the Evolution International Mallorca Film Festival (Emiff), during which he emphasized that “film festivals are the museums of cinema.”

The filmmaker has received the Evolution Vision Award 2026, with which the festival recognizes his career and his contribution to international cinema. As the director of films such as ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ (2022), winner of four Oscars, and ‘Conclave’ (2024). Berger has forged a career characterized by his ability to tackle stories of great human depth and bring them to an international audience, the event’s organizers highlighted in a press release.

During the press conference held this Saturday at the Hotel Portixol, Berger highlighted the cultural role of film festivals, emphasizing that “film festivals are the museums of cinema” and comparing the experience of discovering films at a festival to a visit to a museum.

For the director, cinema is part of what defines a society and helps broaden our understanding of the world. He emphasized that many films, especially those from smaller countries or shot in less commonly spoken languages, struggle to reach theaters, regardless of their quality.

In this regard, he has argued that film festivals offer these films the opportunity to reach audiences and discover other realities.

He also highlighted its importance for a production like ‘Fatherland,’ a black-and-white auteur film that he is presenting this afternoon in Mallorca in his capacity as producer.

He also spoke about his personal connection to the island, noting that after finishing ‘Jack’ he needed to “unplug from the intensity of the work” and found in the Tramuntana Mountains a place where he could “find his calm.“

“I was looking for a hiking route in Europe and ended up in Mallorca. I discovered a rugged, mountainous landscape, completely different from the image I had of the island. It was wonderful,” he recalled.

He later returned to enjoy another trip with his son and has not ruled out coming back if he finds a suitable story to shoot here.

In his reflections on cinematic language, the director has emphasized the importance of placing the viewer on the side of the characters.

As he explained, shooting ‘Jack’, which was constrained by a very limited budget, taught him that “perspective is the most important thing” and that the camera angle determines how a story is experienced; an idea that has also guided his subsequent work on ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ and ‘Conclave’.

Speaking of his upcoming challenges, Berger said that after several very personal projects, he would like to tackle a larger-scale film that combines spectacle and depth. “I’d love to make a big, entertaining movie that’s intelligent and has something to say,” he said.

The Evolution Vision Award ceremony took place this Saturday at the Cine Rívoli, following the screening of ‘Fatherland’, directed by Pawel Pawlikowski and produced by Berger. The event included a post-screening discussion moderated by the festival director, Sandra Lipski.