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10 Highlights of the Berlinale Film Festival You Should Not Miss

The Bookshop

Annually the weeks leading up to Berlinale turn into a stress test. How well can I maneuver through the seemingly countless names of directors? How optimal can I structure my screening schedule? Will I manage to not only realize on day four that a film with my favorite actor screened on day one?

This year is no exception to this emotional roller-coaster. However due to extended internet research, reading of press newsletters and countless hours spent on the Berlinale website, I’m fairly confident Ive got thinks figured out. I nevertheless share my 10 highlights only with the cautious warning that these are not complete or final and definitely my personal taste. Each film can be your personal cinematic supernova, so head to Potsdamer Platz and into the dark. It’ll be worth it …

Unknown Pleasures – The Best of Independent American Movies

by Lia | Movies

Experimenter

Most cinema lovers observe what is happening at the Cannes, Venice and Sundance Film Festivals, even if they cannot attend. The programs always look promising and leave us with excitement and hope that the films will one day make it to our local cinemas. Unfortunately, quite a few movies never receive distribution deals, leaving a wider audience unable to see it. Luckily there are lovers of film like Hannes Brühwiler, who help films they believe in reach the silver screen in Berlin!

Hannes’s Festival is poetically called Unknown Pleasures and screens an amazing selection of American independent movies. The festival runs from June 3rd until June 16th 2016 at Arsenal and Il Kino. I met Hannes and spoke with him about American cinema, Unknown Pleasures and the best places for great film in Berlin…

3 Awesome Advent Calendars from Berlin

by Lia | Design, Products

Let’s be honest: it’s not easy to get out of bed on cold Winter mornings. But luckily December 1st is around the corner! Advent calendar presents will make us jump out of the sheets in excitement for our daily presents in the run up to christmas.

You don’t have a calendar yet? Well be quick and get yourself one of those twenty four day surprises! We chose some unique advent calendars for you, three from Berlin and an extra one from Hamburg. Enjoy our selection after the jump.

Party Ruins – A History of Berlin’s Club Culture

by Lia | Clubs, Events, Music

Ruins of Maria am Ufer, photo: Michael

With events scattered around the city and free of charge the festival FUTUR25 celebrates the German reunion this upcoming weekend. Some may ask: Didn’t we celebrate the same thing last year? But no. Last year we celebrated the anniversary of the fallen wall with illuminated balloons along the way of the wall. What had become reality for the people only became politically official with the signing of the German reunion contracts, which happened a year later.

FUTUR25 now celebrates the 25th anniversary of this political milestone with great installations, exhibitions and concerts. Radialsystem V serve as the centre of the festival, but is certainly not the only venue! The section Trümmern und Träumen (“ruins and dreaming”) is for us the most exciting one as it focuses on the developments of the Berlin Club scene, brings important figures back on stage, and takes you around on rickshaws to the locations of previously legendary clubs and those that still exist after a wild history of over two decades.

Read more about a couple of the program highlights and see some archive photographs of long forgotten clubs and parties after the jump…

The Forgotten German Recipes

by Lia | Books

Do you remember that chicken soup your grandpa used to make for you? Or the pancakes grandma flipped so well? Our taste buds can be used as a walk down memory lane, especially so when eating meals from a past time or our childhood. Both eating and cooking can create a piece of home and are a wonderful way to remember. The project Wir haben einfach gekocht („We simply cooked“) from Berlin has utilized this unique quality of food turned it into an amazing cookbook.

Read more about the project and see the joy on the participants’ faces after the jump.

An Island Escape – 6 Days in Saint Lucia

by Lia | Travel

I truly love Berlin! But sometimes you have to let go of what you love and venture off to somewhere far far away. When I do leave I tend to go to other big cities. This time though fate took me to what can only be described as the opposite of a city: Saint Lucia.

The tiny island in the Caribbean is by far the most remote spot I have ever visited on this planet and a great mind-clearing trip. Not only did I manage to cleanse my mind of all responsibilities at home, but I got my perspectives in order and returned with a new found passion for this gorgeous Berlin.

Head on after the jump to read all about my Saint Lucia Shenanigans…

WOLF – Berlin’s New Cinema

by Lia | Movies, Neukölln, Places

Verena von Stackelberg is a brave woman with a burning passion for film. Opening her very own cinema was her idea for a while and when she stumbled across the perfect venue on Weserstrasse, she jumped at the opportunity. After years of hard work WOLF Kino is now open to the public. We spoke with Verena about her vision, the cinema scene and her favourite film of all times…

Bandol Sur Mer – A Dinner to Remember

by Lia | Mitte, Restaurants

I’ve always loved good food, but only since I’ve recently had dinner at Bandol Sur Mer I know what an experience food can be and what it feels like when your taste buds go cold turkey. Read all about the best dinner of my life at, what is said to be Brad Pitt’s favorite Berlin restaurant after the jump…

Berlinale 2015: My New Favorite Film

by Lia | Movies

Yesterday’s halftime report was filled with the films I saw from the competition. Today – as promised – I will speak about all those I saw from the Sections Panorama, Forum, Perspective and Shorts. I haven’t managed to squeeze in Generation, Retrospective or Gala Screenings yet, but hey one has to set priorities, however much it hurts to miss all that other great stuff.

Two of my very very favorites are in this selection! Continue reading to find out which is film really blew me away and is currently my new favorite film ever (told you I’m emotional these days)…

Berlinale 2015: Halftime – Films in the Competition

by Lia | Movies

photo:Donata Wenders

It’s Berlinale halftime. Not that I actually know what day it is – festivals just blur into one very long period of uncountable days – but my calendar tells me that half of the joyous and exhausting time is already over.

I’m ill and have been schlepping myself around Potsdamer Platz more than I’ve been thrillingly jumping there, which results in me seeing less films than I originally planned.

Still I’ve seen 16 films in the past 5 days, so I will split this halftime review into two parts: Competition films (today) and everything else (tomorrow). This way it’s just not as overwhelming for both me to write and you to read.

With this as a backdrop continue reading what I’ve seen so far and which films you should and shouldn’t miss…

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