BERLIN — Werner Herzog has made films about swashbuckling men contending with some of the most extreme environments on earth, from the Amazon to Antarctica. But with “Queen of the Desert,” which made its debut here on Friday at the 65th annual Berlin International Film Festival, the director has ventured into previously uncharted territory for him: a love story starring a woman.
The film, which he also wrote, stars Nicole Kidman as Gertrude Bell, the British historian and intrepid traveler known as the female Lawrence of Arabia.
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In “Taxi,” Mr. Panahi’s passengers include a bootleg DVD distributor, two superstitious women and a human rights lawyer. Although seemingly scripted, “Taxi” pushes the boundary between selfie and cinema. It relies on a combination of amateur actors and real people, who all remain anonymous, a publicist for the film said. But Mr. Panahi leaves room for many ambiguities. In lieu of closing credits, the film ends with a disclaimer that only films certified by the Iranian authorities are allowed to have credits.
A version of this article appears in print on February 7, 2015, on page C1 of the New York edition with the headline: Herzog’s New World: A Woman’s Story . Order Reprints| Today’s Paper|Subscribe
