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Yesterday, a new movie trailer made the rounds and had Berliners shocked and shaken. I’m talking about the Berlin, I Love You film starring Keira Knightly, Helen Mirren, Mickey Rourke.
To give you the facts first: The film is a continuation of the Paris, Je T’aime and New York, I Love You format that is basically a string of unrelated love stories happening in one place and shining the light on the biggest, tackiest cliches of the respective city. Each story is like an episode and it has different, directors, cast and crew. The Berlin one has Chinese artist Ai Weiwei (who directed his episode remotely via Skype back in 2015), as well as German actor/director Till Schweiger and Dani Levy in the line-up of directors. Further famous actors include Luke Wilson, Orlando Bloom, Patrick Dempsey, Renée Zellweger, as well as German actors Sibil Kekilli, Hannelore Elsner, Robert Stadlober and German supermodel Toni Garrn.
The first trailer gives us a glimpse into some of the stories of the film with scenes about street musicians, the refugee camp in Tempelhof, Mauerpark Karaoke and of course some nightlife action.
But despite all of the star power and beloved Berlin footage, something feels quite off. Seeing Keira Knightly sing at Mauerpark Karaoke, Luke Wilson hit on a busker and hearing the words “I wanna show you my Berlin” feels somewhat like a higher form of sarcasm. It’s like someone took the knowledge of the Berlin hype and all its cliches from 10 years ago to Hollywood and they made something grotesque out of it that will feel like a form of violation to every Berliner.
The general reactions to the trailer by people from Berlin so far have been pretty harsh. And I love them for that! One American friend mused on social media “That’s why they hate us…” Oh well, honey…
To be fair, while the mixing of Hollywood star power and Berlin tourist cliches feels like the worst possible mix every, some of the episodes might turn out alright, so we are gonna watch the film, no matter what. A personal point of interest for me is that the movie apparently brings three Game of Thrones actors together again. That’s gonna be interesting! And I can’t wait to see that ridiculous scene with Mickey Rourke which to me seems like something out of a horror film. Oh and I bet the nightlife scene is going to be super realistic also…
Enjoy the trailer (or enjoy hating it).
I lived my whole life in Berlin, born inter early 80’s in Pankow I experienced the city that’s is changing constantly for the past 35 years. I really haven’t seeing anything bad watching the trailer, nothing bad! and I can imagine the kind of “Berliner” that is complaining about the trailer and the movie. People: it’s a movie, it’s not a documentary. Of course there is a lot of cliche and cheesy lines, – just like the ones about NYC and Paries have – it’s an Hollywood drama. Grow up.
I lived for six years in the city. When I lived in Charlottenburg. I always thought there should be a movie about the city. Who captures the city as a whole. Maybe the movie doesn’t express the city exactly. But I am a big fan of Keira Knightly. And I loved the previous movies of the series. I will go into the cinema watching this movie.
PS: I also liked Keinohrhase as much as Berlin Calling
Why does the story of a refugee have to be told through the POV of a white woman? Would be way more powerful if it was told from the perspective of a refugee. There are more American actors than German and the movie is in bloody English. Berlin is not America, but this movie makes you think so.
Born and raised in Berlin I can just say: what the f**k?!
Where are the POC people? Where is the Turkish comunity living in this City for decades now and beeing def more berlin than any “ im gone show you my berlin party tourists” and guess what they have storys to tell, if hollywood would notice anyone who is not white the would new!!!
Where are the queer / non binary people? Where are the heroin addicts the super poor that are working their asses of? Where is the imperfection that makes berlin what it is?! A working class city from day one?!
Where are the people who are responsible for berlin beeing berlin?
This movie is a insult for every guestworker who came here – build up the city- and whos children and grandchildren are still not seen by media, society and goverment!
This is so awful it can’t be anything but horrible! Like did the film makers actually even come to Berlin? lol Don’t they know this is where romance comes to die. Now they wanna make a romantic comedy that takes place here. By far the most trashy Hollywood shit I’ve seen in a while.
Awful. The worst movie i have seen in a while. Its unbelievable something like that was made in 2019!