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Spotlight on the Berlinale

February 18, 2006

For 10 days, around 400 movies from 56 countries will attract viewers' attention. Read DW-WORLD stories about the film festival.

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Berlinale tickets are a hot commodity in the German capitalImage: dpa

The 56th Berlin International Film Festival got underway on Feb. 9, with journalists, paparazzi, film producers and movie buffs beleaguering glitzy Potsdamer Platz in downtown Berlin. For 10 days, fans and film aficionados alike will rush for a glimpse of the action as some of cinema's biggest stars walk the red carpet.

There will be a lot to see, from Hollywood blockbusters to debuts from little-known artists. And the first of Europe's three major film festivals is bigger than ever with around 400 movies, 26 of which will compete for the Golden and Silver Bears.

But when the lights go off and the curtain opens in the cinemas around town, the audiences are likely to be in for some serious takes on reality as a much grimmer set of films premier compared to previous years. If last year focused on sex and sizzle, this year's festival will showcase more political fare.

Germany is also set to take center-stage with four contenders for awards: Oskar Roehler's "Elementary Particles," Matthias Glasner's "Free Will," Valkeska Grisebach's "Longing" and Hans-Christian Schmid's "Requiem."

DW-WORLD takes a look at some of the main trends and players at the Berlinale.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

Berlinale Strikes a Serious Note

The Berlin International Film Festival, which opens on Feb. 9, veers away from the sex and sizzle which dominanted last year's fare, to focus on political themes. The stars will be out in full force though.
January 30, 2006

Berlinale Film Lineup Includes Four German Entries

Germany is entering four films at this year's Berlin International Film Festival, which will welcome visitors for two weeks in February.
January 19, 2006

"Love Never Goes Out of Fashion"

As the Berlin film festival kicks off on Thursday, DW-WORLD talked to international jury member and acclaimed Bollywood director and producer Yash Chopra about movies and love.
February 9, 2006

World Cup Fever Hits Berlinale's Silver Screen

In a preview of the thousands that will descend on Berlin for the World Cup final on July 9, a number of remarkable soccer films, and fans, have already made an impression at the city's international film festival.
February 18, 2006

"The EU Hasn't Managed to Generate its Own Myths"

The Marshall Plan film series "Selling Democracy" runs for the last time at the Berlinale this year. DW-WORLD spoke to British historian David Ellwood about the lessons the US celluloid propaganda operation holds today.
February 18, 2006

Taking on the Big Guys

A biting political satire, "Bye Bye Berlusconi" has made quite a splash at the Berlin Film Festival. DW-WORLD interviewed its director, Jan Henrik Stahlberg, and scriptwriter, Lucia Chiarla.
February 15, 2006

Tracking the Golden Bear

As the 56th Berlinale opens its doors on Feb. 9, Deutsche Welle takes a look back at the turbulent and glamour-filled history of the festival and its founding amid a war-ravaged Germany.
February 5, 2006

Gay Film Beyond "Brokeback"

The Berlinale celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Teddy Awards, honoring gay and lesbian film. Reason enough to check in with Rosa von Praunheim, the director and prominent gay rights activist.
February 14, 2006

Berlinale Golden Bear Goes to Bosnian Drama

The 56th Berlinale, the first major European film festival of the year, awarded its Golden and Silver Bear prizes for best film, director and actors. International productions with a political touch were singled out.
February 18, 2006

European Films the Must-Have Item at Berlinale

The movie stars, the gliterring premieres...it's the public face of the Berlinale Film Festival. But behind the scenes, the hard bargaining happens. This year, the must-have item for distributors is edgy European cinema.
February 16, 2006

Movie About Dresden Bombing Confronts Taboos

Germany's first fictional mvoie about the Allied bombing of Dresden was screened at the Berlin Film Festival this week, in a fresh sign the country is finally confronting its own wartime suffering.
February 18, 2006

Berlinale Applauds German Film About Rapist

A film about a rapist's attempts to escape his past at the Berlinale upholds the film festival's reputation for dealing with wrenching subjects. The director says he is emphasizing loneliness, not rape, in the picture.
February 16, 2006
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