Beyond Hollywood
Hindered in the festival's ability to draw star power, Dieter Kosslick, the head of the Berlin International Film Festival, is instead focusing on presenting new discoveries, including German films and the best from abroad. The biggest star in town this week is Angelina Jolie, but Kosslick is also set on creating new ones. By Andreas Borcholte more...
Blurred Vision
Gerhard Richter, the world's most expensive living painter, turned 80 on Thursday, and Germany is paying tribute to its art superstar with a number of major exhibitions. Two shows in Berlin explore six decades of Richter's work, while an exhibition in Dresden gives a glimpse into the source material for the artist's trademark photo paintings. By Laura Hamdorf more...
Hidden Hatred
An award-winning new German film takes an unexpected look at the problem of far-right extremism, following the fictional story of a young woman lost in a world of violence and hatred. The film, which has parallels to a recent neo-Nazi case in Germany, also serves as a wake-up call for some -- women are more prevalent in the radical scene than many believe. By Kristen Allen more... [ Forum ]
No Satisfaction
Women's rights campaigners are demanding the removal of urinals shaped like female mouths from the men's lavatory of a Rolling Stones museum in Germany. The owner denies the bowls are offensive and vows: "They're staying." more...
'Panda of the Plant World'
In 2010, Berlin's Botanical Garden received a rare and precious gift from the Seychelles: a nut from the Coco de Mer palm, prized around the world for centuries. Now that they've managed to sprout the fickle fruit, joy is matched with jitters as botanists in the chilly city strive to keep the tropical wonder alive. By Christoph Seidler more...
Hitler's 'Battle of the Colors'
It has been a tale of a friendship forged under the most unlikely of circumstances. African-American Jesse Owens and Aryan poster boy Luz Long went face to face when Nazi Germany hosted the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin -- and allegedly became fast friends. But is the story really true? By Michael Wulzinger more... [ Forum ]
Papa Kohl and Madame Mitterrand
A new musical coming to Berlin turns the euro crisis into an amusing fairy tale, with Hansel and Gretel-like characters and a gingerbread house. But the author says he wants to point out the euro's weaknesses, and he lays some of the blame for the crisis on Germany. The Germans, he hopes, will have a sense of humor about it all. By Aaron Wiener more...
Illegal Fishing
Berlin police recently caught the North Korean ambassador to Germany fishing without a license, according to local media reports. But there was nothing they could do -- the envoy enjoys diplomatic immunity. more... [ Forum ]
The Art of Demonstration
A new art exhibition in Frankfurt draws connections between demonstrations past and present. In the case of Egyptian artist Aalam Wassef, it studies how online activism has transformed protesting and become a work of art in itself -- but one that can cost people their lives. By Ulrike Knöfel more... [ Forum ]
New Polar Bear Cub
A polar bear that shares the same father as Berlin celebrity Knut (RIP) has been born in Wuppertal. There appears to be a distinct family resemblance, although "Anori," whose gender is still unknown, has the good fortune of not having been rejected by its mother. more...
