Thursday, February 8----Two legends collided in one city tonight as the Berlin International Film Festival began this evening. For one night only, Edith Piaf waltzed with Marlene Dietrich on the steps of the Berlinale Palast, in the heart of the "new Berlin" Potsdamer Platz. Of course, the two, most deceased, were not dancing in the flesh. But when the music of Edith Piaf, as captured in the Berlinale Opening Night Film LA VIE EN ROSE, spilled onto the streets of Marlene Dietrich Platz, two legends most certainly did embrace and effortlessly melted into a tango. All this amidst the eye-popping modernist architecture of the Potsdamer Platz. Swoon.
The Opening Gala of the 57th Berlin International Film Festival, held in the magnificently well appointed Berlinale Palast at Potsdamer Platz, will be broadcast live on television (ZDF/3sat). Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick opened the Festival together with Minister of State and Commissioner for Cultural and Media Affairs Bernd Neumann, Governing Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit and Jury President Paul Schrader. TV presenter Charlotte Roche hosted the show, with musical accompaniment by Jan Delay and Joy Denalane. The International Jury was introduced to thunderous applause, and then the screening began of the world premiere of LA VIE EN ROSE by Olivier Dahan.
The invited guests begin arriving at the red carpet at 6:00pm, which stretched into the cavernous Berlinale Palast. Olivier Dahan, the director, as well as Marion Cotillard, Sylvie Testud, Emmanuelle Seigner and Jean Pierre Martins, the stars of the film, were in attendance.
A mix of German film stars and international directors, actors, producers and government and cultural mucky-mucks attending:
Michael Ballhaus, Wolfgang Becker, Bibiana Beglau, Moritz Bleibtreu, August Diehl, Helmut Dietl, Angelica Domröse, Doris Dörrie, Andreas Dresen, Bernd Eichinger, Hannelore Elsner, Bruno Ganz, Jeff Goldblum, Rebecca Horn, Thomas Kretschmann, Joachim Król, Günter Lamprecht, Gudrun Landgrebe, Eva Mattes, Arthur Penn, Franka Potente, Rosa von Praunheim, Peter Rommel, Volker Schlöndorff, Jan Schütte, Steven Soderbergh, Hilmar Thate, Margarethe von Trotta, Tom Tykwer, and Wim Wenders.
Much will reported on this site in the coming days, we invite you to come back and sample Berlin.....where legends still meet.
Sandy Mandelberger
Berlin Online Dailies Editor
08.02.2007 | Berlin's blog
Cat. : Ambiance Andreas Dresen Angelica Domröse Arthur Penn August Diehl Berlin Berlin Berlin Film Festival Berlin Film Festival Berlin International Film Festival Berlinale Palast Berlinale Palast Bernd Eichinger Bernd Neumann Bibiana Beglau Bibiana Beglau Bruno Ganz Charlotte Roche Cinema of France Cultural Dieter Kosslick Dieter Kosslick Doris Dörrie Edith Piaf Édith Piaf Edith Piaf EMMANUELLE SEIGNER Entertainment Entertainment Eva Mattes Film Franka Potente Gudrun Landgrebe Hannelore Elsner Helmut Dietl Hilmar Thate Jan Delay Jan Schütte Jean Pierre Martins Jeff Goldblum Joachim Król Joy Denalane Jury Klaus Wowereit LA VIE EN ROSE La Vie en rose Margarethe von Trotta Marion Cotillard Marlene Dietrich Marlene Dietrich Marlene Dietrich Platz Media Affairs Bernd Neumann Michael Ballhaus Moritz Bleibtreu Olivier Dahan Olivier Dahan Paul Schrader Peter Rommel Potsdamer Platz Rebecca Horn Rosa von Praunheim Sandy Mandelberger Steven Soderbergh Sylvie Testud The 57th Berlin International Film Festival the Berlin International Film Festival Thomas Kretschmann Tom Tykwer Volker Schlondorff Wim Wenders Wolfgang Becker ZDF Fest. circuit Red carpet FILM FESTIVALS PEOPLE