Culture calendar
January 31, 2014
The bears are out to play in Berlin: the 64th Berlin International Film Festival, the Berlinale, will take place from February 6 to 16. The country's most important German film festival is set to screen 23 films from 20 countries. In addition to that, around 400 films will be shown out of competition during the festival.
Wes Anderson's movie "The Grand Budapest Hotel" will open the festival. The international jury, led by American film producer and screen writer James Schamus, will be choosing the winners. They'll receive the Golden and Silver Bear awards at a ceremony on February 15 at the Berlinale Palace.
More movies: art protectors and bullying bosses
George Clooney's film "Monuments Men" has its world premiere at the Berlinale on February 7 and hits German theaters the week after. The movie tells the true story of the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives program (MFAA) run by the Allied forces during World War II. Civilians and military personnel in the MFAA tried to save and recover art and cultural treasures from the Nazis.
February also sees the release of two German favorites. Comedy actor Christoph Maria Herbst will continue to bully his employees in "Stromberg - The Movie." The film was financed via crowdfunding and is based on a TV mocumentary by the same name, which in turn was inspired by BBC's "The Office." Ladies' man Matthias Schweighöfer will likely attract a large (mostly female) audience with his new movie "Vaterfreuden" (literally, Joy of Fatherhood).
Paris' Bohemian world and Lagerfeld's creative work
The exhibition "Esprit Montmartre. Bohemian Life in Paris around 1900" has gathered lots of interest in advance and will open at the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt on February 7. It includes pieces of art that are usually on display at the MoMA in New York or the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, as well as historic photographs, posters and graphics that provide a glimpse into the dazzling life of artists in Montmartre at the turn of the century.
Fashion will remain a hot topic after the Berlin Fashion Week in January as well. Hamburg is slated to host an exhibition called "The Chanel Legend." The Museum for Art and Industry will be showing more than 150 original objects from important collections, including 70 Coco Chanel creations. The exhibition investigates the question of why Coco Chanel and her brand still attract so much attention today. In addition to Coco's work and life, Karl Lagerfeld's handling of her legacy will be another focus.
More Lagerfeld can be found in Essen, where the Museum Folkwang hosts the exhibition "Karl Lagerfeld. Parallel Contrasts: Photography-Books-Fashion." Lagerfeld was involved in the conception of the exhibition, which is meant to be a snapshot of his current creative work. It includes fashion, drawings, photographs, films, books and product design, representing his multifaceted oeuvre.
Carnivalists on the loose
It's Carnival time at the end of the month! People will ring in the so-called fifth season, which involves lots of partying and street parades especially in western Germany. On Thursday, February 27, Weiberfastnacht is observed - the one day of the year where women rule the world and get to cut off the men's ties.
In cities like Cologne or Dusseldorf, people celebrating Carnival are called Jecken and dress up in colorful costumes. Classics include pirates, fairies and hippies. In the South of Germany, however, people tend to wear historical masks or witch costumes.