It's showtime

The Berlin International Film Festival - the Berlinale - has a reputation for being politically charged. At the same time, plenty of people in the German capital want to see the glitz and glamour that goes along with such a film event. At first glance, "Les adieux à la Reine" ("Farewell, My Queen"), the French motion picture to commence the film extravaganza Thursday night, would seem to have given film lovers just that.

The film by director Benoit Jacquot centers around a major event in European history - the French Revolution - but, despite being a historical drama, has plenty of star allure. Queen Marie Antoinette is played by German actress Diane Kruger, who has long made her mark in the international movie business and in Hollywood. She was certainly the star attraction on the red carpet at the Berlinale Palast.

Evening gowns and freezing temperatures

Like many on Berlinale's opening night, she braved freezing conditions and walked the red carpet wearing a sleeveless dress. With temperatures dropping to six degrees below zero Celsius (21 degrees Fahrenheit), it must have taken some effort for the ladies of the film industry to stop and answer journalists' questions. But, for them, it may just be a day on the job in smiling for the camera and promoting their film.

Traditionally, it is German celebrities who come to the Berlinale opening. Nina Hoss, Mario Adorf, Jurgen Vogel, Berbara Sukow and many others were there. Good-humored as ever, festival director Dieter Kosslick welcomed the stars and starlets of the local film scene.

But, true to its international character, Kosslick was able to greet major international celebrities as well. "Dracula" star Christopher Lee attended, as did big-time British director and Berlinale jury president Mike Leigh. Charlotte Gainsbourg represented the female side of the jury. Hollywood celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Meryl Streep are expected in the coming days.

In typical charming manner, both Kosslick and TV host and comedienne Anke Engelke chatted throughout the opening gala, welcoming guests and listening in on the music performances.

Each year, Berlinale tries to bring together show business and politics, glamour and commitment to social causes, and this time around, it's with a nod to the environment. Guests of honor arrived at the cinemas in hybrid-driven cars; the lights used for the red carpet came from energy-efficient light bulbs.

At events over the coming days, little meat will be on offer at the buffet, announced Kosslick, a self-confessed amateur chef, who just a couple of years ago integrated the "Kulinarisches Kino" (Culinary Cinema) section into the film festival. All of these changes are matters close to the heart for Kosslick, who's been festival director for 12 years.

Major social upheaval

But on the festival's opening night, French guests Benoit Jacquot, actresses Lea Seydouxum, Virginie Ledoyen (who also play in "Farewell, My Queen") and of course Diane Kruger took center stage. In both of their speeches at the gala, German Culture Minister Bernard Neumann and Kosslick drew parallels between the French Revolution - the setting of Berlinale's opening film - and the recent Arab Spring uprisings.

Art and film are always a measurement of social turmoil, Neuman said, referring to the situation of artists in China and Iran. Berlinale flies the flag for human rights and freedom of the arts. Which is a good thing, especially since the Year of Chinese Culture in Germany has just kicked off, Neumann noted. In China, artists are repressed and often thrown into jail, and that must be pointed out at festivals like the Berlinale, said Neumann. These were pointed statements.

The opening film of the Berlinale, on the other hand, was not pointed in any way. "Les adieux à la Reine" is more of an intimate play than it is a political film, offering a private look behind the scenes of the court of Versailles, rather than a broad historical view of society.

Told through the eyes of a royal servant to Marie Antoinette, the film focuses on the days surrounding July 14, 1789 - the storming of the Bastille. King and queen, court nobility and a couple of servants - three perspectives on one story are brought together by director Benoit Jacquot into a restrained historical drama.

The camera stays close to the actors. Dialogue, glances and gestures dominate scenes. The rustling and swishing of the ladies' dresses and costumes impress themselves onto viewers more than the speeches and comments concerning this major political upheaval. This wasn't done purposefully or intentionally by the director. What does a revolution look like from the perspective of a bystander at the court? This was Jacquot's question and he made an interesting, low-key film about it. Yet it does not stir viewers' emotions, and it doesn't really offer deep insights into political intrigues or power struggles.

Political film still to come

In this respect, the parallels drawn by Kosslick and Neumann - which also recalled the overthrow of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarek a year ago - may have been honorable, but also drew attention away from the fact that the Berlinale wasn't opened by a major, critical, political film. Political films work differently than that. Social upheaval and changes in society were supposed to be the theme of this year's Berlinale, but other films to be shown over the next few days will more likely fit that motto better than "Les adieux à la Reine." Many of the films in the other sections like "Forum" and "Panorama" - outside of the main "Competition," in which films vie for the Golden and Silver Bears - are committed to political and social causes. Films about the fate of child soldiers in Africa, the consequences of the recent Fukishima nuclear disaster, events in the Arab world and the war in Bosnia war – that's where politics will play a big role at Berlinale 2012.

Author: Jochen Kürten / jw
Editor: Louisa Schaefer