SPIEGEL ONLINE - 18.02.2011
The Israeli-made film "Lipstikka" had its world premiere in Berlin this week. Last year the movie caused a storm of debate in its homeland due to the fact that it allegedly compared the occupation of Palestinian territories to the Holocaust. In an interview, director Jonathan Sagall and cast members discuss the controversy and red lines in the arts in the Middle East. more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 18.02.2011
The documentary "The Pipe," shown during the Berlinale film festival, tells the story of residents in a remote Irish coastal community who took on the oil giant Shell, and their own government. SPIEGEL ONLINE spoke to the director about the residents' David and Goliath struggle. By Jill Petzinger more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 17.02.2011
This year's Berlin International Film Festival broke new ground by featuring 3D movies in its official program for the first time. But instead of effect-packed blockbusters, the movies on show are arthouse works from directors like Wim Wenders and Werner Herzog. Is 3D cinema going highbrow? By David Gordon Smith more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 17.02.2011
Volker Sattel spent years researching his documentary on nuclear power, 'Under Control,' which premiered at the Berlinale film festival this week. He gained unprecedented access to plants and employees, even filming over an open reactor. Sattel argues the debate in Germany has become overheated. more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 16.02.2011
Most German films about immigration take a grittily realistic approach, focusing on urban tension and social problems. But one filmmaking duo of Turkish-German sisters decided to use humor to tell the story of a guest-worker family. SPIEGEL ONLINE talked to Yasemin and Nesrin Samdereli about their comedy "Almanya." By Siobhán Dowling in Berlin more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 16.02.2011
Werner Herzog's new film "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" is a stunning 3D documentary about a cave in France that is home to the world's oldest known human art. The legendary German director talked to SPIEGEL ONLINE about his life-long fascination with Stone Age cave paintings, the birth of the human soul and why he will only stop making films when he is taken away in a straitjacket. more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 14.02.2011
A copy of his documentary about Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the imprisioned Russian oil tycoon, was stolen from his office shortly before its premiere at the Berlinale. Director Cyril Tuschi talks about the break-in, the making of the film and the macho battle between Khodorkovsky and Putin. more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 11.02.2011
Queer cinema is stronger than ever, but how mainstream can it become before it loses its identity? Wieland Speck, head of the Berlin International Film Festival's Panorama section, talks to SPIEGEL ONLINE about the festival's famous Teddy awards and the ongoing battle for gay and lesbian rights. more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 11.02.2011
The 2011 Berlin International Film Festival opened on Thursday evening with a strong message of support for the Iranian director Jafar Panahi, who is facing six years in prison in his native country. Jury head Isabella Rossellini read out an open letter from the filmmaker in which he is openly critical of the Tehran regime. more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 09.02.2011
Director Jafar Panahi is facing six years in prison in his native Iran, where the regime feels threatened by his films such as 2006's "Offside." The organizers of the Berlin International Film Festival, which begins Thursday, have expressed their support for Panahi by including him in the jury, even though he will not be able to attend. By Lars-Olav Beier and Martin Wolf more... [ Forum ]
