Sunday, 05 May 2024
Sunday, 05 May 2024
The Berlinale's managing director Mariette Rissenbeek and artistic director Carlo Chatrian at the opening ceremony of the Berlin Film Festival 2023. As they prepared for the programme, the duo stressed that the war in Ukraine, Turkey-Syria earthquake and the protest in Iran were a cause of concern for them.
Pictures: Deutsche Welle
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the audience via video link during the opening gala and this was definitely the highlight of the opening ceremony. Cinema is able to overcome borders and walls, whether real or ideological, Zelenskyy said referring to the Berlin Wall that used to stand at the very location of the Berlinale on Potsdamer Platz. The Ukrainian president was given a standing ovation as he appeared on screen.
Hollywood actor-director Sean Penn was on stage to introduce Zelenskyy's speech. Sean Penn's documentary on the Ukrainian president, 'Superpower' is set to premiere at the film festival. Nothing has changed concerning the will of the Ukrainians....If anything, it has just gotten stronger, said the director who recently returned from war struck Ukraine.
The festival's international jury was also introduced on opening night. Hollywood actress Kristen Stewart (right), is the youngest person to preside over the festival's international jury. Iranian actress, Golshifteh Farahani is also one of the international jury members. Her presence at Berlinale is 'symbolic' for her. Farahani was forced to flee Iran after her country declared her persona non grata for her role in Ridley Scott film.
Iran's 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests is in the spotlight at the Berlin Film Festival 2023. Zahra Amir Ebrahimi, Melika Foroutan and Jasmin Tabatabai hold the scarves with the revolutionary slogan at the opening event of the film festival. Iranian juror Golshifteh Farahani also addressed the demonstrations in her home country during a press conference.
In contrast to the heavyweight political themes dominating the Berlinale, the festival opened with the crowd-pleasing romantic comedy 'She Came to Me' starring Peter Dinklage, Marisa Tomei and Anne Hathaway. I want to express my gratitude to the film festival for including a hero of our times and for giving us all the opportunity to amplify the message of Ukraine, which is the almost universal desire for peace, said Anne Hathaway.
