Berlin 04-02-2010
Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2010 the Berlinale – the Berlin Film Festival – will again accentuate Asian film which it has highlighted often in the past.
Chinese director Wang Quan’an’s film ‘Tuan Yuan’ [Apart Together]- its world premiere -will open the ten day festival and Japanese director Yoji Yamada with his film ‘Otouto’ [About Her Brother] will close the festival.
When in 1988 Zhang Yimou’s won the coveted Golden Bear award for his film ‘Red Sorghum’ – it opened up Chinese cinema to the world.
The Berlinale has been at the forefront in showcasing unknown Asian movies and directors and has been a medium between western and Asian cinema.
Formerly focused on Eastern European cinema there has been a gradual shift in the Berlinale over the last two decades - a shift to emphasize and focus more on Asian cinema .
In 1993, the Taiwanese film ‘The Wedding Banquet’ by the then still unknown Taiwanese director Ang Lee won the Golden Bear.
In the last 10 years 4 Asian movies have been nominated for top prizes at the Berlinale.
‘Bollywood’, as the thriving Indian film industry has been dubbed is also well represented by, amongst others, the film ‘My Name is Khan’ -starring Shah Shahrukh- and directed by one of India’s most successful young filmmakers Karan Johar.
