She ascends the steps onto the stage with as much surprise and delight as if she were called up for the very first time. As she accepts the sleek, glassy award she smiles and laughs while looking out into the audience. Her attitude and mannerisms resemble that of a gleeful teenager. Without knowing her, one would never suspect that this might be the fourth award of this kind that she has received through hard work and sublime acting skills; her enthusiasm makes it seem as though it is her first. The only aspect that betrays her youth is age. But even at 73, while accepting no less than her fourth lifetime achievement award in German cinema, Hannelore Elsner, has not let age get the best of her.
Tonight is the grand opening night of the 19th annual Berlin and Beyond film festival held in San Francisco and the audience is roaring with approval. For a full minute, a thousand people are on their feet whistling and congratulating.
The room in which everyone stands is stories high, with frescos and Greek-inspired decor filling every square inch of the walls. It is a beautiful theater made to accommodate tonight’s riveting lineup of films that have come all the way from Germany to be shown only a select, few times in North America.
And tonight, the stage and screen belong to Elsner.
The opening film, L’Chaim! “To Life”, starring Elsner and Max Riemelt, is centered around two intersecting lives; an old Jewish woman with a sharp, sarcastic tone and a young man who’s left his life behind to deal with his own issues. Together they share the joys of life, even when dealing with life’s most debilitating hardships.
The film festival will last the better part of five days with parties punctuating the end of most nights, each celebrating German culture, with all the fine German food and beer you’d expect at such an amazing venue.
The festival’s director, Sophoan Sorn, spends at least three month out of the year in central Europe, traveling and working hard to make sure this night is very special. He selects the movies that will be shown from among the best entries European cinema has to offer and contacts each of the filmmakers to invite them to the festival.
“Tonight, you’re here for the Northern California premiere of “Inbetween Worlds”, directed by Feo Alidag I had the wonderful honor of inviting Feo to my first time in directing Berlin and Beyond in 2010, when the film, “When We Leave” was the centerpiece film of our festival,” shares Sorn.
To further legitimize an already wunderbar event, Stefan Schluter, the Consul General of the Federal republic of Germany is in attendance.
“There are so many good movies coming out of Germany, but on the other hand, it makes it more difficult probably to choose between these absolutely great movies, the ones that (you) bring here to this audience in San Francisco.” He says to the director.
As opening night comes to a close, Sorn gives one last sentiment. “We are so grateful to present again, this is our 19th year and my goodness this is our last year, of you know, the teenage years (of this festival)”. Everyone in the audience surely looks forward to many more years of the celebration of German culture.
The B Side 