[19 February 2010]
The temperature since last two days has increased considerably. The ice has started melting since two days and today it was more obvious as there is water everywhere. Today was full of meetings and group activity. However, I was bit too tired since the morning. Mostly since last night I slept quite late and woke up early in the morning, I had little sleep.
First appointment for the day was at the Deutsche Film – und Fernsehakademie Berlin. It’s a film school location inside the Sony center at the Potsdamer Street. They had planned to show us three films and then to take us around the film school. The screening started and the DVDs were not working fine. Ah! It’s the same everywhere. I remembered the film school days in India; the technical stuff would cheat you at the right moment. The film school people here too were embarrassed. But it was frankly ok with all of us, as we know how this technical stuff behaves.
Out of the three films they had planned, one never played, the other was a single shot film with a little musical touch which was very good the final one had won some big award at the Berlinale short competition but I didn’t like it at all. After the screening we had a short conducted tour to the film school. Though it’s an old film school, they are right now under renovation. So many places in the school were under construction. However, since I too come from a film school, I could understand the kind of stuff they would have. The film school structure is almost like FTII other than the final diploma film project. Here they are allowed to approach an external producer and make even a feature film if possible. This is possible due to the film financing system here in Germany. However, the draw back of this structure was that the students would wait for years together to get the financing and not finish the course at the institute!
After the visit to the film school, we went and had a nice lunch as a group. Few of our teammates already have started leaving to their homelands. Two of them left today. So after we eat, we get back to the Sony Center to visit the Deutsche Kinemathek (museum for German cinema) we had a guided tour and the German film history was very well explained by our tour guide. The silent era, sound – Black and white era and color era displays were very nicely organized in the spectacular architecture. It is not just the collection, which are so artistic, but also the building, which holds them. It is so very important. We don’t find it in most of the museums in India.
After the visit to museum, I head back for a little rest back at the hotel. But then in one hours, time we had to reach for yet another meeting at the Goethe Institute. Here Ms. Marina Ludemann who is the desk officer for the Goethe Institute Film, Television and Radio Division. She explained the kind of work they are doing in their partner countries and we had a little discussion about the possible collaborations with our individual countries. The group attending this was a small group. Most of our teammates are catching up the last screenings for the festival. I am somewhere feeling cheated, as I am not watching many films though I am at Berlinale! But at the same time, it is also important for me to understand the film business, how it is done internationally and most importantly to have contacts and grow my network. I am happy I am able to do this thanks to the wonderful opportunity given by the Goethe Institute. But after the meeting, I am totally drained and want to just return to hotel and hit the bed.
I catch up a vegetarian burger on my way back to the hotel, just finished eating it. Now for some writing and straight to bed. However, I just realize that it is already 10pm here! That means it is around 1:30 mid night in India! You guys must be enjoying a nice sleep by now. I want to get back to India now. Enjoy the warm sun light of Bangalore and get back to the work with a fresh mood.