58.
Internationale Filmfestspiele
Berlin 07. - 17.02. 2008





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DINOSAURS OF ROCK in Berlin
The Rolling Stones and Martin Scorsese opened the
58^th International Filmfestival Berlin


SHINE A LIGHT (world premiere)

US/UK 2008
122 min
Director: Martin Scorsese
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For the first time the International Filmfestival of Berlin screened a documentary at the opening night. Bringing the Rolling Stones in town is the biggest coup since Kosslick’s beginning as Berlins festival director. A very glamorous and vibrant prelude to a large program focused on music. Besides Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Woods and Charlie Watts the crowd is waiting for several other legends of music to appear. Probably the most attractive one is the Queen of Pop Madonna, who is presenting her feature film debut with Filth & Wisdom. Neil Young who is working as a filmmaker since the early 70’s using the pseudonym Bernard Shakey is presenting his documentary CSNY- DÈJÁ VU on tour with “Crosby, Stills and Nash”. And last but not least activist and music legend Patti Smith is presented by the very intimate portrait Dream of Life made by Steven Sebring.
Not really an ambitious movie genre - strictly speaking, but there could be worse parents than Daddy Scorsese and Mummy Smith. That leads to another point. Besides the focus on music and documentaries, striking is the presence of stories about children struggling with their destinies. Among them Heart of Fire or music documentaries like “War Child”, a documentation about a Sudanese Hip Hop Star or the Filipino film “Tribu”. The focus on music is completed also by a range selection of very fascinating movies and films like Heavy Metal in Baghdad.

These films are much more discerning than the hero worship of the first ones mentioned. But the selection reveals the cross marketing ambition between the two market giants and their peering to profit from one another. It totally worked today with a fulminant opening – unorthodox but clever.

Let’s rock!