Cate Blanchett's performance in TÁR has seen the actor receive endless praise ever since the film came out, and now those who love the movie could be in for more of that after a new short film spinoff was announced for release next year.
Distributed by Focus Features in the U.S. and Universal Pictures abroad, TÁR was first screened at the Venice International Film Festival. Despite losing a lot of money, the movie’s surrealistic themes, ambiguous ending, and how it handles abusive power dynamics and cancel culture have made fictional conductor Lydia Tár's biopic one of the critics' favorites this year. Blanchett's performance, in particular, has netted her countless nominations for Best Actress, including at the Golden Globes, where TÁR will also compete for Best Screenplay and Best Picture in the drama category.
TÁR is scheduled to hold a special screening at the 2023 edition of the Berlin Film Festival on February 23, 2023. There, a new short titled The Fundraiser will be premiered to accompany a public talk with its writer and director Todd Field, Blanchett, co-star Nina Hoss, and composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (Joker). No further details were disclosed at this point, so it’s unclear if Blanchett will reprise her role in some form in The Fundraiser.
In the film, American Lydia Tár is one of the world’s most famous composers-conductors on the planet. However, her comfortable life in charge of the prestigious Berlin Philharmonic is suddenly rocked due to a series of scandals. One of TÁR's most redeeming qualities has been its ability to make those unfamiliar with the classical music scene outright Google her name, as the film’s ambiguity doesn’t make it clear this is a completely fictional character.
TÁR was made with a reported $35 million budget to cover all expenses, including marketing, to then only make a measly $5 million total at the box office — not like that has prevented it from becoming this awards season’s darling. It bears saying that TÁR is not typical Oscar bait character drama, as Lydia's dark personality and the way the film depicts her internal torments and struggles almost venture into horror territory, so it’s anyone’s guess where Field will go in The Fundraiser.
Those who watched the movie surely know the title could be a reference to Lydia's past or future, so there’s plenty of promise in The Fundraiser. It's no Avatar: The Way of Water, Top Gun: Maverick, or Elvis, but TÁR even packs a Monster Hunter reference just for kicks.
TÁR is now playing in theaters and available on digital platforms.
Source: Berlin Film Festival