At midday, I caught the German feature "The Lives of Others". Directed by Florian Henkel von Donnersmarck, the film is set in East Berlin during the eighties, spanning from 1984 to around 1992. It tells the story of a Stasi officer who is assigned to watch a group of artists. As he puts a prominent theatre director, Georg Dreyman and his actress wife under survellience, he is drawn more and more into their story. As the officer gets grows to empathize with the couple, he begins to look the o...

With the Award Ceremony, the Berlinale reached its climax on Saturday, February 18. Hosted by Heino Ferch in the Berlinale-Palast, the event was broadcast live on 3sat. Viewers in the theatre and at home feverishly awaited the announcement of the winners (see the List of Prize-Winners). In addition to the prize-winners, the illustrious guests of the evening included: Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Meret Becker, Bibiana Beglau, Jürgen Böttcher, Detlef Buck, Ingrid Caven, Hannelore Elsner, ...

International and German Stars at the Opening of the 56th BerlinaleThe Opening Gala of the 56th Berlin International Film Festival was held on February 9 in the Berlinale Palast at Potsdamer Platz. For the first time, the event has been broadcasted live on television (ZDF/3sat). Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick opened the Festival together with Minister of State and Commissioner for Cultural and Media Affairs Bernd Neumann, Governing Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit and Jury President Charlotte ...

Stars from around the world are set to attend the gala opening of the 54th Berlin International Film Festival. The opening night gala ceremony in the Berlianle Palast begins today at 7.00pm on Thursday, 5 February. The evening will be hosted by Anke Engelke and Festival Director Dieter Kosslick. The Berlin International Film Festival will be opened by Minister of State for Culture Dr Christina Weiss and the Governing Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit. The opening night film, Anthony Minghella’s ...