It is a beautiful sunny day here in Berlin, as I wrap up my visit. I am taking a break from screenings today for the most part. Checking out a few sights in their stead.

There was a wonderful exhibit by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, who recently wrapped the exterior of  Berlins concert hall with the abandoned life jackets of thousands of Syrian refugees. Unfortunately the exhibit had been removed before I came upon the building, while strolling through the beautiful Gendarmenmarket Square.

Ai WeiWei in Berlin

Later I will head to the Hamburger Bahnhof Museum for an interesting film installation. Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett stars in Julian Rosefeldt’s “Manifesto” exhibition currently on show at the Bahnhof. The Australian star re-enacts famous manifestoes of such movements as Futurism, Dada, Minimalism, and others. The 13 short films explore the subversive potential and ambiguity of all kinds of manifesto: Manifesto Hamburger Bahnhof Museum

I’ve heard good things about it so think it’s a good idea for the afternoon.

An interesting  reto-German film is playing in the early evening, hope to get to it:

Abschied von gestern
Yesterday Girl
Anita G. is 22, from a Jewish family, and a migrant from East to West Germany. She is sentenced to probation after stealing a cardigan. Working in an office and also selling language learning LPs, she starts up a relationship with her boss and embezzles from the company. Anita tries in vain to enrol in university in Frankfurt. Her romantic liaison with a married government official also flounders. When she becomes pregnant, Anita, who by then is wanted by the police, turns herself in … With his look at the odyssey of a woman adrift, Alexander Kluge gave a clear signal to launch the “Young German Cinema”. He used the incessant running of this homeless woman to integrate numerous particles of reality into his film – up to and including a performance by Fritz Bauer, Hessen state attorney general and the initiator of the Frankfurt Auschwitz trials. Enriched with intertitles, documentary segments and third-party texts, Yesterday Girl systematically consummated the break with filmmaking conventions. In 1966, film critic Uwe Nettelbeck wrote “Kluge does not formulate solid insights, but rather incites reflection”. That approach was rewarded with the Silver Lion at the Venice film festival.
still
Federal Republic of Germany 1965/1966
88’
German

by Alexander Kluge
with Alexandra Kluge, Günter Mack, Eva Maria Meineke, Hans Korte, Ursula Dirichs
Rating R: 16

Yesterday’s screening of 2 episodes of a new Nordic crime series called Case was excellent. It charts new territory for Icelandic TV production, and closely follows the template of such TV shows as Forbrydellsan (The Killing).

In this series director Baldvin Z moves from feature film directing (Life In A Fishbowl), to the world of series television. I will attach a link to an interview here , where he talks about the development and shooting of Case-I will add that the first 2 episodes are an excellent introduction to the story and main character arc-and left me wanting more:) I will leave you with the link for the article, and hope to give a final update tomorrow enroute to Koln for a concert by Ennio Morricone.

Case

Tschuss