My trip to the Berlinale

February 22, 2010 --

Yes, folks, I attended my first World Class Film Festival this year: the 60th Annual Berlin Film Festival. The stars were out in force, (Leo, Scorsese, Olivia Williams, Julianne Moore) but I didn't see any of them! Unless you count the Vanessa Redgrave-look-alike I spied at the Paris Bar on Kantstrasse one night. Instead, I was left to rub elbows with the great mass of public film-goers (Oh what I would have given for a Press Pass!)

The Berlinale is a massive, well-run festival. Next time, I must arrive early and wait in line for advance sale tickets (and go to the gift shop, which involves another long line). As I did neither, I only made it to three showings: two programs of shorts (one devoted to the work of Festival honoree Hanna Schygulla--she's a better actress than filmmaker--ouch!), and a new Czech film from Jan Hrebejk: "Kawasaki's Rose" -- good film, bad title.

The latter film was shown in a massive East Berlin theater, on a massive, Communist-era boulevard lined with apartment blocks. (Now Karl Marx Allee, formerly Josef Stalin Allee). Impressive, but a bee-atch to walk down when you are late for a screening! To be in a huge theater packed with film lovers was amazing. A community develops among the hard-core attendees. Unfortunately, I was unable to devote the time to cultivate any relationships (it was my first visit to Berlin... I had places to go, things to see!)

Next time (God willing), I'll know exactly what to do.

List of prize winners

Here are some of the sights I took in:

Esteemed member of the jury:

The foreignfilmguy himself!!