Among winners of the 57th Berlinale 3 films took major spotlight.
- Gegen die Wand.
A German Berlinale winner (but does it look like your ordinary German movie?) . Head on / Gegen die Wand only does justice to the recent German Box Office (and Festival circuit) successes such as Good Bye Lenin (winner of a Cesar last Saturday in Paris for best European film following 6 awards at last EFA) or The Miracle from Bern.
- Lost Embrace by Daniel Burman and Maria Full of Grace by Joshua Marston (the latter had an excellent festival entry in Sundance).

A few random shots at a few other films presented during the Festival:
- My Father who tells the story of Mengele’s son going back to his roots meeting in Latin America the infamous Doctor. A rather naive essay after a novel that deserved better treatment.
- Quattro Nosa is a true shot of energy, says Wieland Speck - Panorama director. The film shot and edited the last 5 years tells us a Romeo & Juliet story set in LA Latino communities. Illegal street racing, cars police and women (but fast)
- Lightning in a bottle a fantastic documentary on the history of Blues a vibrant, loud, colourful, (though mostly black) brilliantly shot and lit by Antoine Fuqa. A spectacular one time concert in New York gathering the Blues living legends is mixed with old documents. See it!
- Final Cut. A science fiction thriller starring Robin Williams-no smile (he kept every bit of wit for his press conference: (some people wear fur; I AM fur, the first time I saw my director, I thought he is very young: I want to see some ID...and more)
- 20/30/40 "Drive he said". Her young love, husband, a bus driver in Taipe dies and leaves his wife with a child, a wrecked bus in a world where she does not understand the rules.

Before the final ceremony much talk was about potential winners that did not make it in the final decision by jury members.
Expected to bring back some bear fur were Patrice Lecomte (Confidences trop intimes/ Intimate Strangers), Linklater's Before Sunset where Delpy was astonishing, 25 degrés en hiver/ 25° in Winter, Weaping Meadows by Angelopulos, Jean Pierre Daroussin in Feux Rouges (Red Lights),

Latino and Brazilian movies were warmly accepted by Berlin audiences (The Other Side Of The Street, Up against them all...)

The machinist (in Panorama created much great buzz)

The festival went on smoothly for its closing delayed by half an hour by young students demonstrating against budget cuts, some of them naked on the red carpet and more inside with higiaphone). Attending screenings at Berlinale is easiest amongst large festivals we know of.
Screenings conditions are excellent with multiplexes like Cinemaxx, Cinestar.
Berlin offers its Berliners a public screening day (Kinotag on Sunday).
Travels betweens locations are easy smooth and inexpensive. Festival organizes a few shuttles between Potzdamer Platz and main hotels... Hyatt host most of the press activity with accessible staff, friendly helpful. Press facilities are conveniently central to everything.
Altogether a good/average Berlinale where only a few ingredients were missing to make it a memorable one: great films and international stars.
Besides business was great in the European Film Market and sales activity in hotels taxis and restaurants were up 40% from last year in most cases.

Bruno Chatelin