When presenting a documentary about his life, ex-tennis star Boris Becker emphasized what he believed to be the difficult relationship with Germany. “Especially in Germany, it is often not allowed that the youngest Wimbledon winner of all time has grown up,” said the 55-year-old on Sunday at the Berlinale.
The first of two parts of Alex Gibney’s production “Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker” is scheduled to premiere this afternoon at the International Film Festival. “I’m a big fan of Boris,” said Gibney. Making a film about him had another appeal: “He’s also a storyteller who can tell his own story.”
Boris Becker described the documentation about the ups and downs of his life as a “matter of the heart”. “It was a privilege and a challenge to make the film,” said the 55-year-old on Sunday in Berlin.
The documentation also addresses Becker’s pill addiction during his active professional days. “Life as a winning tennis machine is a lot harder than it looks,” he said. You always have to work. “Every player has a way of dealing with these expectations. If I don’t win, Germans in particular try to crucify me.”
For “Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker”, director Gibney interviewed Becker in 2019 and 2022, a few days before his conviction. Becker was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in London at the end of April 2022 because he had concealed assets worth millions from his insolvency administrators. He was released in mid-December after 231 days behind bars because of a special regulation for foreign prisoners.
There are three more entries in the competition. Among them is “Ingeborg Bachmann – Reise in die Wüste”, in which von Trotta deals with the author of the same name. The film is one of five competitors from Germany. Jury President Kristen Stewart and other filmmakers decide who will receive an award from a total of 19 competing entries.
Frauke Finsterwalder’s “Sisi
The ZDF thriller series “Der Schwarm” based on the novel of the same name by bestselling author Frank Schätzing, three episodes of which will be shown at the festival on Sunday, has attracted attention in the past few days. Schätzing had shown dissatisfaction with the film adaptation and drew a comparison with the ZDF romantic film series Rosamunde Pilcher. ZDF explained that, from the broadcaster’s point of view, “Der Schwarm” is “a very successful and contemporary adaptation of the novel from 2004.”
Along with Cannes and Venice, the Berlinale is one of the most important film festivals. It opened on Thursday. A total of around 280 films are to be shown in around one and a half weeks.
