John Malkovich-Starrer ‘Seneca,’ Alex Gibney’s Boris Becker Doc, TV Series ‘The Swarm’ Set for Berlin

German director Robert Schwentke’s drama “Seneca – On the Creation of Earthquakes,” starring John Malkovich as the Roman-era Stoic philosopher, Alex Gibney’s untitled Boris Becker doc, and high-end European TV series “The Swarm” are set for Berlin Film Festival world premieres.

The Berlinale on Tuesday announced several titles that will screen out-of-competition across various sections, most of them as Berlinale Special galas.

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Besides “Seneca” and the Becker doc the galas also comprise the European premiere of Canadian chiller “Infinity Pool,” directed by Brandon Cronenberg and starring Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård; Todd Field’s “Tár” which premiered in Venice – and for which Field, Cate Blanchett and co-star Nina Hoss will hold an onstage concersation – Japanese thriller “#Mannhole” by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, and Peter Geyer’s animation feature “Loriot’s Great Cartoon Revue” about German multihyphenate Vicco von Bülow, aka Loriot.

“The Swarm,” which is the first title announced for the Berlinale Series section, is a hotly anticipated skein exec-produced by multi Emmy award-winning producer Frank Doelger (“Game of Thrones”) based on a bestselling eco-thriller by Frank Schätzing. The book is about a global group of scientists and soldiers who must tackle the challenge posed by anomalous behavior in marine animals such as underwater worms drilling the continental shelf and toxic jellyfish, lobsters and whales attacking human beings. The sea animals are reacting to the devastation of their habitat.

Berlin also announced the first eight titles in its cutting edge Forum section. They comprise: “Concrete Valley” from Canadian director Antoine Bourges; “Dearest Tan” by Dutch filmmaker Fiona Tan; Canadian artist Moyra Davey’s “Horse Opera”; “Mammalia” from Romanian director Sebastian Mihăilescu; “Notes from Eremocene” by Slovakian filmmaker Viera Čákanyová. And three docs: Vincent Dieutre’s “This is the End,” Luís Alejandro “Yero’s Calls from Moscow,” and Ulises de la Orden’s “The Trial.”

The 2023 Berlin Film Film Festival will run Feb. 16-26

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