‘The Fundraiser’: Todd Field’s ‘TÁR’ Berlin Short Will Never Be Screened Again

Say it ain’t so.

As the Berlin Film Festival winds down, Todd Field and Cate Blanchett were in attendance to premiere their short film “The Fundraiser,” which takes place inside the “TarVerse.”

Presenting the film with his cast, Field confirmed that the short won't ever be screened again. Hopefully, if TÁR ever gets a Criterion release, they will include “The Fundraiser” as a bonus. Otherwise, that’s not cool, man.

Despite those in attendance having seen the film, not much is known about it. It’s quite amusing, actually. Nobody wants to say what it’s about. As if people who saw it were sworn to secrecy, never to reveal its details.

One person, who did see it, briefly told me it takes place in a single setting, at a luxurious fundraising party, where Lydia (Blanchett) and her partner Sharon (Nina Hoss) are in attendance. No other details were given. There’s a lot of dancing, one person wrote on Letterboxd.

Field admitted that the scene used in the short was never meant to be in the final film, but they had so much fun filming it that they decided to edit it as its own separate entity, which then became this ephemeral short — meant to be screened as once-in-a-lifetime viewing. “TÁR” fans on social are justifiably pissed.

Blanchett and Field are now headed to the SAG and PGA ceremonies this weekend. Blanchett is the favourite to win the Lead Actress prize for “TÁR.” The film itself probably won’t win the PGA — sad.