Mr. Kosslick, in 2008 the Berlinale had a truly sensational opening film with the world premiere of Martin Scorsese’s “Shine a Light” about the Rolling Stones. Can we look forward to similar excitement at the 2009 film festival?
Well, a repeat performance won’t be all that easy, but we’ll try. In 2008 the opening really rocked. One of the main themes that was visible in all of the series was music: films by and about musicians, music as an expression of social-political change. Apart from the Stones, Patti Smith, Neil Young and Madonna came to the festival. The selection of films for 2009 will not be completed until mid-January. But I’ve already found one film particularly striking. “Food Inc.” dramatically depicts scandalous activities in worldwide food production. For two years now the Berlinale has addressed questions surrounding ecological and health questions in its special Culinary Cinema programme.
Do stars on the red carpet reflect the status of a major film festival?
It’s natural for a festival like the Berlinale to present great international stars, but this doesn’t detract from the importance of the films. The real secret to a film festival of international significance lies in its presentation of a broad, well-defined programme. Star-power is part of it, but it isn’t everything.
Five thousand films have to be previewed for the Berlinale. How difficult is the selection process?
We have a variety of committees in the different Berlinale sections to cope with previewing this incredible wealth of films. Then the heads of the sections watch the films in this preliminary selection. I do this for the films in the main competition, which means I eventually watch about two hundred entries. The real challenge lies in the actual design of the programme. The programme for an international competition needs an underlying dramatic composition. Initially this involves formal, aesthetic, content and cultural factors, but you also have to consider the mixed nature of the audience, the journalists, film industry representatives and so-called normal filmgoers. So it’s quite a complex balancing act.
What role does the European Film Market play for the film industry during the Berlinale?
The European Film Market is a vital instrument for the international film industry. About 700 films are on offer at the EFM. 75% of them are market premieres, which means they are being presented to potential buyers for the first time. This makes the EFM very attractive. It’s where films are traded that our cinema audiences will be watching in the next one to two years. The EFM has become an amazing success. Since it moved to its new, wonderful venue at the Martin Gropius Building in 2006 the market has grown enormously. With all due modesty we can say that over the past three years the EFM has developed into the world’s third largest film market, and it’s growing strongly.
It was your idea to introduce the Berlinale Talent Campus. What did you hope it would achieve?
When you have 350 young filmmakers from over 120 countries, it injects an enormous amount of positive energy into the festival. In its six-year existence the Campus has not only fulfilled our expectations, it has surpassed them by far. It is the Berlinale’s platform for up-and-coming filmmaking talent, and as such it enjoys a worldwide positive response. In fact it has become an international model for sponsoring up-and-coming film talent. The Campus idea has since been copied by other festivals, or they have organized similar events together with us, for instance in South Africa, India and Argentina. Annual talent campuses are held there with support from Berlin. The Sarajevo Film Festival has also been staging a Talent Campus since 2007 with a focus on talent from southeast Europe. And the Jerusalem Film Festival is interested in the Talent Campus as well. Of course, we’re particularly happy that the Federal Foreign Office and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier support the Campus.
If you were to give a brief diagnosis of German films at the moment, what would your verdict be?
I believe in our filmmakers, and the quality of German films has stabilized at a high level of accomplishment. There is great potential among young filmmakers working in a great diversity of genres. This has been perceived for several years, not only inside Germany but internationally, too. Even Hollywood has spotted these talents and is making offers. German films are regularly winning awards, both at the Berlinale and other festivals, too. Audiences have also rediscovered German films and Germany is now in high demand as a film location.
Many recent German film successes have addressed themes in recent history. Is this a general trend or something specifically German?
Interest in current topics and events which determine our lives in society has increased markedly in the last few years. Many filmmakers are tackling subjects in their immediate environment. This is also illustrated by the great success of documentary films. I think that German filmmakers helped to initiate this trend, which we can now discern on a worldwide scale.
Do you still go to the cinema on a private basis?
Yes, definitely. The magic of cinema is boundless, even though today’s digitalized audio-visual reception options seem to offer unlimited horizons. But you can never replace the great experience of people sitting together in the film theatre, the pleasant sensation as the lights are dimmed and the curtains finally open.
Interview: Janet Schayan
