Acclaimed Director Haile Gerima Unveils New Documentary at Berlin Film Festival
Renowned filmmaker Haile Gerima, a pivotal figure in the L.A. Rebellion film movement, is set to debut his latest feature, Black Lions – Roman Wolves, at the upcoming Berlin Film Festival. This marks a significant return for Gerima to feature filmmaking.
This morning, the Berlinale announced that Black Lions – Roman Wolves will be featured in the Berlinale Forum section. The film, which has been years in development, offers an extensive examination of Italy’s harsh colonial impact on Ethiopia. Gerima’s work is described as a powerful narrative that confronts a history often left unspoken. Through his distinctive storytelling, he crafts an expansive tale about resistance, liberation, and national identity. The project is a joint Ethiopian-American venture.
Gerima’s previous major work, Teza, premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2008, earning accolades such as the Special Jury Prize and the Best Screenplay award. In recent years, Gerima’s earlier films have seen a resurgence in interest, thanks in part to Ava DuVernay’s Array Releasing, which distributed restored versions of his films Ashes And Embers (1983) and Sankofa (1993).
Over time, Gerima has shared insights into Black Lions – Roman Wolves, raising funds for the project via his well-known Sankofa Video Books & Café in Washington, D.C. He has gathered compelling stories from resistance fighters who directly witnessed the atrocities of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.
Alongside Gerima’s documentary, the Berlinale Forum will also showcase Volker Koepp’s Chronos – Fluss der Zeit (Chronos – Flow of Time). Koepp’s film revisits his past works and personal connections in Lithuania, Moldova, and Czernowitz, reflecting on these experiences in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine, adding a contemporary relevance to his exploration.
American filmmaker and artist James Benning is also returning to the Berlin Film Festival with his latest endeavor, Eight Bridges. The film emerges as a reflective piece on the concept of connections, metaphorically represented through the image of bridges, as suggested by Benning’s statement on the current global climate.
The Berlin Film Festival is scheduled to take place from February 12 to 22, 2026, promising a rich lineup of films that delve into significant historical and contemporary issues.
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