Berlinale jury President Wim Wenders has made clear that film can only change people and not politicians but at the Berlin film festival's red carpet opening ceremony, political protest grabbed all of the attention.
Damp and miserable conditions hung over the skies in the German capital but at the 76th Berlinale's opening ceremony in Potsdamer Platz, a golden glow gave the proceedings a much welcome sheen of glamour.
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Some of Hollywood's biggest names were present for the gala along with a significant number of celebrities and a host of national favourites.
Among them Sean Baker, Bella Ramsey, Neil Patrick Harris, Iris Berben, Daniel Brühl, Lars Eidinger, Karoline Herfurth, Frederick Lau and Matthias Schweighöfer.
Politicians and guests show their solidarity
The evening was actually supposed to be all about the art of film - at least that was the jury's view. Before the opening, the tone was set in the afternoon at the welcoming press conference, with the jury chairman Wim Wenders, making it clear, they did not want to take a political stance. "We stay out of politics," he said in response to a question about support for Palestine.
On the red carpet, however, it became clear that politics and cinema cannot be completely separated.
Author and journalist Düzen Tekkal used her appearance on the red carpet to highlight the situation in Iran. Together with Banafshe Hourmazdi, Jasmin Tabatabei and Pheline Roggan, she held up posters reading "Free Iran" and "Rojava in my Heart".
German Green Party politician Karin Göring Eckardt also brought a message with her. On her hand was written: "remembrance is not a violation". These words are part of a controversial Ukrainian campaign at the Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina.
Other guests jointly depicted a quote from the German-American philosopher Hannah Arendt, according to which no one has the right to disobey. They positioned themselves against fascists and claimed to be more.
This year, the political messages came mainly from guests at the gala. The prominent filmmakers themselves remained largely reserved on the red carpet and concentrated on their appearances in front of the cameras.
In an interview with Euronews, Lars Eidinger said that he had mainly come because of the films - they were the real reason for his attendance. "I couldn't care less about anything else," said the German actor.
Eidinger can be seen on the big screen again this year - in the film 'The Blood Countess' (Die Blutgräfin) by Ulrike Ottinger and Elfriede Jelinek, which is celebrating its world premiere at the Berlinale.
But Eidinger was excited about attending the premiere, partly because he has not yet seen the finished product: "Sometimes you come to the Berlinale to watch the films you've made yourself," as he shared with Euronews.
Matthias Schweighöfer, on the other hand, was particularly looking forward to seeing colleagues and friends from the industry again. His highlight is "meeting everyone again. That everyone is coming together. It's simply wonderful," he said.
This enthusiasm was equally shared by his fans: together with his wife Ruby O. Fee, he was greeted with particularly loud cheers.
Opening film 'No Good Men'
There was also a mixture of seriousness and lightness in the auditorium. The opening film shown on Thursday evening, 'No Good Men' by Afghan director Shahrbanoo Sadat, tells the story of a camerawoman travelling in Afghanistan shortly before the return of the Taliban. She has lost faith that there are still good men in Afghanistan, but the reporter she is travelling with makes her doubt.
A comedy with political depth - a contrast that also characterised the evening on the red carpet.
Competition and awards
After the parade on the red carpet, the gala began - including the first award ceremony: Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh received the Honorary Golden Bear in recognition of her outstanding acting achievements in film and cinema.
It's was the first of a series of award ceremonies in the coming days. The Berlinale Competition is at the heart of the festival with 22 films vying for the Golden Bear for Best Film. Among the favourites are 'Rose', 'Dao' and 'Josephine.'
The jury, chaired by Wim Wenders, will award the Golden Bear on 21 February. In addition, seven further prizes will be awarded for special film achievements - the Silver Bears.
In addition to the main competition, there are numerous other awards, including the Berlinale Documentary Film Prize, the Teddy Awards for Queer Cinema, the Heiner Carow Prize, the Guild Film Prize, the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury of Churches, the Prize of the FIPRESCI Jury, the Amnesty International Film Prize, the Peace Film Prize and the Prize of the Readers' Jury of the Berliner Morgenpost.
Fans and festival
The award ceremonies will take place over the final weekend of the festival, and 22 February is all about the public. On this day, visitors can watch numerous films once again.
World premieres are on the programme throughout the festival - including competition entries such as 'Rosebush Pruning' with Pamela Anderson and 'The Moment' by Charli xcx. The screenings will take place in cinemas throughout the city - including additional red carpets.
The gala at Potsdamer Platz was just the beginning.
