Berlin
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film capital!
BERLIN LOVES FILM.
Berlin has become Germany’s foremost film production hub and is a sought-after film location used by many big-name international production companies. With its special history and highly diverse culture, Germany’s capital provides an unrivalled setting for productions across a wide range of film genres. With its imposing historical buildings, architectural landmarks and modern high-rises, iconic clubs and bars, lively streets and corners in all quarters of the city, diverse, edgy and exciting Berlin has the perfect location for films and series. It’s no surprise that increasing numbers of German and international film production companies are putting Berlin on the silver screen, and that Berlin has been used as a ’body double’ for cities such as London, Paris, Istanbul and Moscow. On average, film clapperboards clap a record-breaking 17 times a day across the metropolitan region. This is an impressive signal – now and also for the future – as it shows that Berlin has a strong, highly competitive creative industry, a diverse culture and also that Berlin is perceived as a city with a great quality of life. Our film-loving city is the best imaginable backdrop!
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5 Highlights
Made in Berlin
Babylon Berlin
The glamorous main location of the award-winning series Babylon Berlin is the Moka Efti, a dance club that was the Berghain of the Twenties. The former Delphi silent movie theatre in Berlin was used for the first time as a set for a film production.
BRIDGE OF SPIES
In the south of Berlin, the Glienicke Bridge connects the capital with Potsdam. During the time of German division, it connected East and West and was used for prisoner exchanges. This story is told by master director Steven Spielberg in "Bridge of Spies" starring Tom Hanks. The film was nominated for six Oscars, won by Mark Rylance for his nuanced portrayal of Russian spy Rudolf Abel. Other filming locations for "Bridge of Spies" included the Hohenschönhausen memorial and the former Tempelhof Airport.
The Hunger Games
In the final part of the trilogy, the main character of The Hunger Games becomes a heroic symbolic figure. The finale in the underground of the Capitol and the battle against the mutants were filmed in the subway at Messedamm at ICC Berlin.
The Queen’s Gambit
In the record-breaking miniseries The Queen’s Gambit, Beth turns out to be a true prodigy and proves her precocious skill as the only young woman to compete in the world’s largest chess tournaments. The backdrops used in the film were Karl-Marx-Allee for Moscow's streets and Friedrichstadtpalast for the chess match against Georgi Girev.
GOOD BYE, LENIN!
The tragicomic story Goodbye, Lenin!, starring Daniel Brühl and Katrin Sass and set in the days immediately after the fall of the Berlin Wall, was largely filmed in original locations. The main setting is a prefab, high-rise block of flats on Karl-Marx-Allee. The popular film won the German Film Award and the European Film Awards, among others, and celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
Berlin at the festival of unity
The Berlin stand at this year’s Festival of German Unity in Hamburg will be offering a wide programme of events and information and will also be showcasing #FILM CAPITAL BERLIN. Highlights include films and fun activities for the whole family. Test your knowledge of Berlin films, series and cinema history and, with a bit of luck, you could win a trip to Berlin! The Berlin film scene will be rounded off with DJ sets and iconic snacks from the capital. Berlin looks forward to plenty of front-row visitors eager to learn more about film capital Berlin, its film locations, productions and film festivals.
Visit us on Mönckebergstraße between the main station and the Elbphilharmonie Culture Café!
FOR GERMAN UNITY DAY 2023:
THE GOVERNING MAYOR OF BERLIN, KAI WEGNER
“Films open up new horizons; they allow us to experience stories, to travel through time and across exotic countries, and they let us see the world through different eyes. Over the past decades, Berlin has become Germany’s leading film location. We are delighted to welcome you on set – join us at German Unity Day in Hamburg and take a look behind the scenes of the capital.”
OUR STATE, OUR FILM
