British director blasts banks

Michael Winterbottom's film looks at "disaster capitalism"

Filmmaker Michael Winterbottom has highlighted hostility towards bankers as he unveiled his film on economic chaos at the Berlin Film Festival.

After his documentary The Shock Doctrine screened, he said that banks' behaviour had left "people very angry".

He predicted radical reforms, noting that this would be "the only positive thing" to come out of the crisis.

The film, based on Naomi Klein's best-selling book, is one of several films about the economy to screen in Berlin.

It features Klein herself as narrator and expounds her theory that liberal capitalism preys on war zones and disaster-struck countries.

She blames this practice for the current economic crisis.

Winterbottom said: "People will change their perspective and feel that there has to be more regulation, has to be more involvement, there has to be more control."

Banking thriller

The festival opened with the world premiere of The International, a thriller pitting Clive Owen against a sinister banking conglomerate.

Brazilian director Jose Padilha, who won the Golden Bear directing prize last year, will screen his new film Garapa. A documentary based in his home country, it follows three poor families who are struggling to survive.

Winterbottom has previously won fans at the festival. In 2006 his documentary about the war on terror, The Road to Guantanamo, directed with Mat Whitecross, won a Silver Bear award.

The festival continues until 15 February.