The red carpet at the Berlinale has rolled out

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Heike Makatsch before the opening of the Berlinale: Back in the limelight

PHOTO: JOHN MACDOUGALL / AFP

Despite the pandemic, the Berlinale opened on Thursday evening.

Hundreds of guests gathered at Potsdamer Platz to see the film »Peter von Kant« by French director François Ozon.

The first glitch happened right at the opening: the server crashed in the middle of the screening of »Peter von Kant«, and the film was interrupted for several minutes.

The gala guests included the actresses Iris Berben, Heike Makatsch and Maria Furtwängler.

The president of the jury this time is the director M. Night Shyamalan (»The Sixth Sense«).

Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth (Greens) emphasized how important culture is for democracy.

»Yes, it is a festival under pandemic conditions.

With limitations that can be criticized.

With shortcomings that one may criticize.

With gaps that one has to regret,” said Roth.

»But the really, really important thing is: the Berlinale is taking place.«

Berlin's Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey also praised the decision to hold the Berlinale in person this year.

"Every film that we see, that we can experience together, every impression, every story triggers something," said the SPD politician at the opening.

“And I think that's what we're longing for right now.

And that's why it's good that this festival can take place in person.

Even under difficult conditions, especially now.«

"It's nothing for someone like me"

In view of the number of infections in Germany, there had been a long struggle as to how the Berlinale could be organized.

Now there should be restrictions when going to the cinema.

People also wore masks at the opening and sat in the hall at a distance.

Isabelle Adjani, who plays one of the main roles in »Peter von Kant«, didn't even come to Berlin.

Actress Hanna Schygulla is also missing.

She has already acted in Fassbinder's film - 50 years later she can now be seen in a different role in the new edition.

The festival director assured her that everything would take place under the highest security measures.

“But even if people have the triple shot, they can transmit.

That's nothing for someone like me," Schygulla told the Berliner Zeitung.

Meret Becker: Appreciate the diversity of people

Others took part in the opening despite the pandemic: At the beginning of the evening, actress Meret Becker appeared in front of the audience in a white frilly dress - and greeted the "beautiful people" in Berlin and on the screens.

She called for appreciating the uniqueness and diversity of people, their perspectives, visions, needs and learning from each other.

They are there to celebrate this wealth.

"Fuck the money, dude."

Actress Sibel Kekilli ("Against the Wall") said that films have an incredible impact.

»Why else could a simple film, a story, an artist frighten some people, powers, cultures and politicians so much that the film would be banned, the artist persecuted or even killed?

Shortly before the start of the Berlinale, the festival jury emphasized the importance of the big screen and film as a whole.

"Cinema is so important," said Jury President M. Night Shyamalan.

"We're all sitting here because we love the cinema very much," said the German filmmaker Anne Zohra Berrached ("24 weeks").

French-Tunisian producer Saïd Ben Saïd compared the film experience to a religion at Thursday's press conference: "We're back in the church."

Going to the cinema with the 2G Plus rule

Alongside Cannes and Venice, the Berlinale is one of the world's major film festivals.

Many new films will be shown in the next few days.

In the cinemas, only every second seat should be occupied.

The 2G plus rule also applies: only people who have already been vaccinated against the corona virus or have recovered from an infection have access.

Anyone who has not yet received a booster vaccination also needs a test.

The awards will be presented earlier this year than usual - the jury is expected to announce its decisions on Wednesday (February 16).

After that, several public days are planned.

The film festival ends on February 20th.

ime/dpa