A Bavaria Film Intl. and Farbfilm Verleih presentation of a Cine Plus production, in co-production with Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg, in collaboration with Arte, co-produced by Sommerhaus Filmproduktionen. (International sales: Bavaria Intl., Geiselgasteig.) Produced by Joerg Schulze, Amdt Potdevin. Executive producers, Rolf Bergmann, Soeren Schumann.
Directed by Michael Ballhaus, Ciro Cappellari. Written by Cappellari, Ballhaus, Herbert Schwarze.
With: Jochen Arbeit, Blixa Bargeld, Ercan Ergin, Gerke Freyschmidt, Kerstin Grassmann, Beate Guetschow, Alexander Hacke, Dimitri Hegemann, Traute Hoess, Maybrit Illner, Lars Krueckeberg, Joern Kubicki, Clara Leskovar, Sebastian Mauksch, Jeff Mills, Rudolf Moser, Danielle de Picciotto, Wolfram Putz, Jan Reinwein, Joachim Sartorius, Hakan Savas, Mican Christoph Schlingensief, Peter Schneider, Doreen Schulz, Georg Springer, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Anne Tismer, NU Unruh, Ash Wednesday, Thomas Willemeit, Angela Winkler, Luka Winkler, Nele Winkler, Tamo Winkler, Klaus Wowereit, Eva Zander.
Like the burg of its title, docu love letter "In Berlin" is urbane, multicultural and a pleasure to visit. Co-helmed by legendary lenser Michael Ballhaus and Argentinean-born, Berlin-based director-cinematographer Ciro Cappellari, this portrait of the city and its eclectic denizens is unsurprisingly gorgeous to look at, even when exhibiting the German capital's scruffier side. Release-wise, the pic is unlikely to expand its borders much beyond Deutschland, although upmarket TV airings further afield are likely.
Given its aim to reflect the variety of Berlin's residents, landscapes and checkered history, the pic might in other hands have turned into an incoherent muddle of images and fragmentary talking-heads shots. Instead, thoughtful editing lets ideas flow from one to another, producing a cohesive filmic essay. Shopkeepers, students, artists and an endearing girl (Nele Winkler) with Down Syndrome have just as many interesting things to say as the more prominent Berliners (like Mayor Klaus Wowereit, writer Peter Schneider, TV-presenter Maybrit Illner, etc.) interviewed. Emphasis is placed more on the city's recent history since the fall of the Wall 20 years ago, to good effect. Tech package is rock-solid.
Camera (color), Ballhaus, Cappellari; editor, Karl Riedl; music, Terranova; sound (Dolby Digital), Pascal Capitolin, Andreas Koeppen, Juri von Krause, Andreas Muecke. Reviewed at Berlin Film Festival (Berlinale Special), Feb. 13, 2009. German, English dialogue. Running time: 99 MIN.
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