The Friedrichstadt-Palast’s latest production FALLING | IN LOVE is a fantasy tale filled with colour exuberant costumes and an ensemble of 100 artists played a pivotal role in enabling lighting and audio technology for the production “The Friedrichstadt-Palast team were searching for a tracking solution that could manage both the sound and light tracking needs for their newest Grand Show FALLING | IN LOVE,” recalled Phillip Neyses Head of the Technical Department at bright “This was the first time the theatre had considered a tracking solution.” The key requirement was to implement backlight follows of the three main characters during the show each artist is followed by a coloured spotlight “There was not enough room to have three manual spotlight operators in the lighting rig above the stage,” explained Patrick Lenkeit this effect would not have been possible.” “We’ve worked closely with Stage Precision for a long time and already knew they were looking to develop an optical tracking feature within SP,” continued Neyses “The needs of the Friedrichstadt-Palast team led to the development of this new feature in SP resulting in an ideal scalable option for the lighting and audio tracking required for the show.” The production of FALLING | IN LOVE is the first project with camera tracking functionality natively integrated within SP whilst the system also allows for video tracking in the future ensuring the investment by the theatre team came with system longevity Once the decision had been made to implement SP for tracking on the show team proceeded to integrate the technology required including a total of 31 OptiTrack cameras to cover a tracking area of 400 square metres Incoming data from these cameras is received in SP where it triggers automated commands to control the spotlights “A total of six or seven artists are being tracked on stage at any time,” explained Lenkeit there are multiple tracking beacons in play at any one time SP allowed us to set up on-cue switching to deal with the complex spotlight changes required as the story unfolds onstage.” Artist voices are controlled using the L-Acoustics L-ISA system using positional information from SP to change the filters ensuring clarity of speech for the audience “Before the show opened we implemented the system and collected all the connections to both the lighting and audio departments but with SP the in-house technicians are able to recalibrate the system themselves very easily,” added Lenkeit with recalibration taking just a matter of minutes.” “It was our first experience with a tracking system at all so it was a little difficult to begin with but with the support from the Stage Precision team we quickly got the hang of it,” recalled Florian Schiewe Lighting Operator at Friedrichstadt-Palast “We received significant support from Stage Precision.” “Whilst the tracking capabilities would have been possible with other technology we would have needed at least 20% more cameras and additional licenses,” said Neyses “The SP solution was 100% on budget and offers a tool kit that is upgradeable.” www.stageprecision.com We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again More information about our Cookie Policy Want to read new posts immediately? Follow PR Agent on Google News. Berlin's "Broadway" is the legendary Friedrichstadt-Palast: Europe's largest revue theater is celebrating its 100-year stage history this year opened by Max Reinhardt in November 1919 - renamed "Friedrichstadt-Palast" in 1947 - became one of the most visited theaters in the republic Wladimir Kaminer first visited the theater as a student in the early 1980s The writer is now rediscovering the theater for 3sat and will be spending six months looking behind the scenes 3sat will premiere “Kaminer Inside: Friedrichstadt-Palast” on Saturday breathtaking show acts: Wladimir Kaminer describes Krista Monson's production "Vivid" as "like a flight to Mars" the production cost twelve million euros and will run for two years Kaminer accompanies the young musical actress Jaqueline Reinhold during rehearsals and her stage premiere With a leading role in "Vivid" a childhood dream has come true for her: "I worked for it all my life the acrobats from Navas Troupe rehearse in their eight-and-a-half-meter-high rotating steel wheels on which they perform rope skipping and somersaults Wladimir Kaminer is allowed to get on the balance bike himself the greatest feeling in the world when the audience holds its breath and claps enthusiastically ever since I started working as an artist," Ray Navas tells him Berndt Schmidt about the theater's eventful history - and how he sees the future: "Everything we do is consciously or unconsciously seen in the context of this history And we are actually 'the last man standing' Wladimir Kaminer visits the longest-serving employee: Helga Molling worked at the Friedrichstadt-Palast for almost 1980 years until 55 20 of them as a dancer: "It was a wonderful time Kaminer also talks to creative director Oliver Hoppmann about the challenge of bringing a new show to the stage every two years Daily updates on social media at @PRAgentMedia Listen to article: Want to read new articles immediately By Jan-Christopher Sierks AIVily – a Sierks Media Initiative AI systems such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude and Gemini are increasingly influencing the way [Read more...] Backlinks have become a central component of digital marketing and SEO strategies. 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[Read more...] PR Agent has been publishing new media news and press releases in eight languages ​​every day since 2016 Sierks Media, Hamburg, is the publisher of PR Agent, the Shots Magazine and Sierks.com ➡️ Dispensing coffee ➡️ @ PR Agent Media ➡️ @ PR Agent Media filmed in part at Berlin’s magnificent Friedrichstadt-Palast theatre hall.Svenja Jung in 'The Palace' Is there a happily ever after when you go about love backwards Ray Martin dives into the world of death and funerals in 'The Last Goodbye' Get real: Illegal deeds are just the beginning in the True Crime Collection 'Hudson & Rex' are back for more feel-good crime fighting When the Finnish ski team is caught out playing dirty what’s left behind is 'Dirty Snow' a former spy creates a gripping hijack thriller Danish series 'Chaos' is a battle between head and heart 'The Fortress' star Russell Tovey on filming alongside a real-world crisis A detective’s illness could set a killer free in ‘Flowers Over The Inferno’ "Falling in Love" is the title of the new show at Berlin's Friedrichstadt-Palast The glamorous look is the brainchild of French fashion legend Jean Paul Gaultier Broadway Off-Broadway Off-Off Broadway Cabaret Dance Opera Classical Music Nashville Minneapolis / St. Paul Connecticut Atlanta Chicago Los Angeles WEST END UK Regional Canada Australia / New Zealand Europe Asia Latin America Africa / Middle East TV/Movies Music The Palast celebrated the World Premiere of its most expensive production to date this evening on the world's biggest theatre stage FALLING | IN LOVE celebrated its World Premiere at the Friedrichstadt-Palast Berlin. The most dazzling Grand Show yet – curated by Jean Paul Gaultier He created Berlin's new show jewel together with an international creative team About the theatre: The Friedrichstadt-Palast Berlin, or Palast Berlin for short, has the world's biggest theatre stage. It is a state theatre owned by the city of Berlin. The theatre has Jewish roots, as theatre entrepreneur Max Reinhardt which became the present-day Palast in 1947 the National Socialists took over the theatre Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels turned it into the biggest propaganda theatre of the Third Reich At the time of German division (Berlin Wall) the theatre was located in the eastern part of Berlin It is precisely against this historical backdrop that the Palast today stands for democracy The ensemble comprises around 500 people from 28 nations Known as Grand Shows due to their immense dimensions a 16-piece show band and 60 dancers along with soloists and further performers Revues are not musicals; the narrative is essentially portrayed in pictures and through the dance choreography Hence the Grand Shows are also suitable for guests with no knowledge of German The New York Times recommends the Palast to tourists as a “must-see in Berlin!” The new Grand Show has a production budget of around 14 million euros Thanks to an exclusive cooperation with the Austrian company Swarovski 100 million Swarovski crystals make the most visited theatre in the German capital sparkle There's never been such a rush of crystals like this before One of the 100,000,000 crystals is the largest cut Swarovski crystal in the world and weighs a whopping 180 kilograms FALLING | IN LOVE is curated by Parisian star designer Jean Paul Gaultier but he also brought in two up-and-coming design teams to work alongside him he also contributed his aesthetic vision to the stage design Well over 100,000 tickets for the show had already been sold by the time of the World Premiere The lead character in the new Grand Show is You You feel misunderstood and only want to sink into the ground The asphalt of civilisation does indeed then break open beneath him and he falls into the slumbering Garden of Love Will You ultimately find the words to make beauty and love blossom in our world again in all their colours Visual Design Director and Curator, Jean Paul Gaultier: “The Palast is a theatre of superlatives It is an honour and at the same time a great pleasure for me to once again work with the fantastic ensemble and creative team – as costume designer curator and visual design director for the world's biggest theatre stage.” Among the guests to attend the World Premiere were: Jean Paul Gaultier, Jedward, Conchita Wurst, Jean-Christophe Bouvet, Joy Sunday, Stefania, William Abadie and Ashley Thomas. Organized by the Berliner Festspiele, this international and interdisciplinary event delves into the contemporary meanings of exile and showcases the works of both renowned and emerging artists. Multi-award-winning producer/director/writer/actor/choreographer Breton Tyner-Bryan's latest film ESCAPE, will make its German Premiere at the Berlin Commercial Film Festival. Learn more! Unbedingt sehenswert – für Stephen-King-Fans und alle, die spannungsgeladene Psychodramen lieben! Karlsruhe feiert – und zwar ordentlich: DAS FEST Karlsruhe geht 2025 in die Jubiläumsrunde! Mit dabei sind vom 24. bis 27. Juli in der Karlsruher Günther-Klotz-Anlage Top-Acts wie Max Giesinger & Friends, Faithless, 01099, Clueso und Amy Macdonald. function closestickysocial(){document.getElementById("foxsocial").style.display="none";}@media(max-width:1024px){.most-popular,.video-row{display:block;margin-top:25px}}Videos and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows © 2025 - Copyright Wisdom Digital Media, all rights reserved. Privacy Policy ARISE will be showing at Friedrichstadt-Palast, Berlin, until 27th February 2022. Find tickets here Stay at Motel One Berlin-Hauptbahnhof from £79 per night Motel One Berlin-Hauptbahnhof was redesigned in 2019 inspired by the iconic local station and its surroundings: expect transport-themed installations intimate train compartment booths and memorabilia documenting the Hauptbahnhof’s evolution from neighbourhood stop to global transport hub Motel One Berlin-Hauptbahnhof is right at the centre of Berlin’s throbbing metropolis – and just a 25-minute walk (or 8 minute drive) from the Friedrichstadt-Palast theatre Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Berlin’s Friedrichstadt-Palast turned to L-Acoustics to provide comprehensive audio coverage throughout the venue while allowing members of the audience to better localise performers the 1,900-seat Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin’s Mitte neighbourhood has earned a reputation as one of Europe’s top live-performance venues The theatre is home to a 3,000 sq metre stage and a 24m-wide proscenium which is believed to be the largest in Europe which attract more than 500,000 visitors to the venue each year In its aim to keep the Friedrichstadt-Palast on top of entertainment technology its team decided to seek out immersive sound technology that would allow the venue to stage a wider range of spectacles and give the audience an elevated experience L-Acoustics certified provider FeedBack Show System was entrusted with integrating a solution for the Friedrichstadt-Palast The system needed to respect the theatre's strict preservation laws and seamlessly integrate with its existing audio controls The aim was to provide comprehensive audio coverage throughout the venue while enveloping audiences in immersive sound to help guests better localise performers during performances has designed several systems using L-Acoustics He says: "It's eye-opening to see what can be done when you change from stereo to L-ISA and that's what the venue was aiming for – a huge soundscape to bring the audience closer to the performance.” The team at FeedBack worked with Martin Rode and Martin Wurmnest from L-Acoustics' application team on designing the L-ISA configuration The unique challenges of the 270° audience area were addressed using L-Acoustics' Soundvision 3D audio-mapping software to model optimum loudspeaker placement for comprehensive coverage technical director at the Friedrichstadt-Palast says: “Our goal was to ensure dynamic distribution and localisation of the artists on stage L-Acoustics' K3 in an L-ISA configuration proved to be the ideal solution to deliver exceptional balanced sound throughout the entire audience area.” The L-ISA Scene system consists of 102 L-Acoustics K3s including nine hangs stretched across and extending beyond the stage and six surround hangs placed at the edge of the venue Two X12s are placed below the K3 extension system for extension near-fill each consisting of an A15 Focus and A15 Wide provide fill for the audience areas located to the far left and right of the stage The spatial distribution of sound is handled by a L-ISA Processor II with a 64-output licence A scaled-down L-ISA configuration using L-Acoustics' X8 and 5XT coaxial speakers with a Syva Sub is installed in the theatre's on-site studio to support immersive audio mixing in pre-production This enables the sound design team and musical department to accomplish much of their pre-production work without blocking the entire venue while the previous show was still running "We tested the scale simulation during a mixing session in the studio to validate that the creative ideas would play out well in the dimensions of the large venue – and it worked like a charm," says Wurmnest we only needed minor adjustments on EQ levels and all of the object positions that we simulated translated perfectly to the large stage." Herda says: "L-Acoustics was the ideal choice In addition to the generally outstanding sound quality the acoustic localisation provided by L-ISA spatial sound has helped us better connect the visual events on stage with the acoustic experience "The audience can now see where the musicians and performers are on stage and hear them with pinpoint accuracy This creates an even-more-intense and lively show experience." Sign up for regular updates and get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox You can manage your subscriptions just select the ones you want to receive Sign in or Register a new account to join the discussion The fashion company's current creative director said he was honored to work alongside Mugler in a tribute post "You changed our perception of beauty, of confidence, of representation and self empowerment. Your legacy is something I carry with me in everything I do. Thank you," Cadwallader said on Instagram This cross-border journey through fenlands and small towns is so idyllic our writer breaks up this short trip with overnight stays The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. but I find it’s best not to dash and to retain an element of spontaneity taking the chance to stop off here and there along the way last month I ended up taking three days for a train journey of only 200 miles The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. It’s possible to travel from Hamburg to Esbjerg by train in four to five hours with a single change of train at Niebüll a small town in northern Germany just short of the Danish border Except for short electrified stretches at either end – for the first 40 miles out of Hamburg and then again on the final few miles into Esbjerg – the route relies on diesel trains and for much of the way has all the character of a lightly used secondary railway The appeal of the journey is in the delicate beauty of the flatlands and the fine small towns along the way An Esbjerg-bound train stops at Ribe Photograph: Hidden EuropeThe slow train to Niebüll starts at Altona station in Hamburg now scheduled for redevelopment as part of a major urban renewal scheme Rattling through Hamburg’s northern suburbs we quickly gain open country with rich pastureland and bright yellow fields of oilseed rape a reminder that this area was drained by Dutch settlers in the high middle ages This railway from Hamburg to the Danish border is called the Marschbahn (Marsh Railway) There are cobbled streets and grass-grown lanes so to me Ribe is a delightWe stop at country stations with tangles of early summer vegetation tumbling over the platforms gradually climbing on to a high embankment that affords views over the two-dimensional-looking Holstein landscapes For the traveller unaware of what lies ahead this skyward trajectory is one of the great enigmas of European rail travel The great rise in elevation is necessitated by the railway crossing of the Kiel canal which carries seagoing ships with high masts This is as close as you’ll get to flying on a train and it’s interesting to gaze down to the ferry shuttling cars over the canal far below with riotous displays of gorse by the railway line occasional windmills and wonderful lines of poplars The sun comes out as we slip over the reed-fringed River Eider and I love linguistic diversity and take it as an omen that this small town by the Eider might warrant a visit Ambling by drainage ditches and over a canal bridge I walk into Friedrichstadt’s compact town centre which seems like the most amiable spot on Earth Canals in Friedrichstadt this is a fragment of the Netherlands transposed into northern Germany but the story of Friedrichstadt as a place of tolerance and peace transcends the community’s Dutch beginnings There is more than a passing nod to the town’s heritage in modern Friedrichstadt with hotel and restaurant names that play the Dutch card Remonstrants, Mennonites, Unitarians, Jews, Catholics and Quakers all settled in Friedrichstadt, taking advantage of a charter issued in 1623, giving freedom of belief in this small town in a region otherwise uniformly Lutheran. So taken am I by Friedrichstadt that I end up staying overnight (Pension Marktblick and then at mid-morning next day get back on a northbound train a community shaped by herring fishing and with a welcome sweep of waterside cafes A train crossing Hochdonn railway bridge over the Kiel Canal Photograph: Image Professionals GmbH/AlamyCrossing into DenmarkI continue to Niebüll where all passengers bound for Denmark must change trains The summer-season through trains from Hamburg to Esbjerg are long gone The onward train across the border is a comfortable modern railcar run by Arriva swans enjoying the afternoon sunshine and make our first Danish stop at Tønder featured trips and local tips for your next break as well as the latest deals from Guardian Holidays myriad swallows and starlings … Ribe is a delightThe next place up the line is Ribe and it looks so appealing with its willows and hazel trees that I decide to break my journey again Super-size churches are a reminder that this town was once an important ecclesiastical centre The silting up of waterways has changed the local landscape The splashing of mill wheels marks the Ribe soundscape Ribe Photograph: Pavel Dudek/AlamyThis is a town that’s far too good to dismiss after an hour or two so I stop overnight again (the family-run Hotel Ribe is a modest guesthouse with seven cosy rooms from €75) in small towns like Friedrichstadt and Ribe it’s easy to stop off without much advance planning and find space in mid-range hotels On the third and final day of my journey to Esbjerg, I wake early and walk Ribe’s quiet streets. Then it’s breakfast and a visit to the Viking Museum (adults £12.60, under 18s free) right by the station. From here it’s just an hour to Esbjerg. “Only to Esbjerg?” queries the train manager as she checks my Interrail pass. “This train goes right through to Struer. With a pass you could go the whole way.” Read moreI check the timetable and see that Struer is 33 stations further up the line beyond Esbjerg and takes another six hours but know that Esbjerg deserves an overnight stay It’s a decision I don’t regret: for in the Danish port I find a town that is a wonderful example of sensible urban renewal with a good range of restaurants which even on a summer day have candlelit tables and promise that Danish cosiness and conviviality known as hygge These tickets allow stops but the entire journey must be completed without overnight stays follow the writer’s example and use an Interrail pass Nicky Gardner is the editor of Hidden Europe magazine and the co-author of Europe By Rail: The Definitive Guide, available from guardianbookshop.com To continue reading this article you must be logged in Register or login below to unlock 3 free articles every month Or subscribe from just £7.99 and get unlimited access to thestage.co.uk Invest in The Stage today with a subscription starting at just £7.99 © Copyright The Stage Media Company Limited 2025 View upcoming auction estimates and receive personalized email alerts for the artists you follow Emilia Nikolova-Bayer’s oeuvre presented in the current exhibition brings to our attention the under-researched synthesis of the monumental arts and architecture in Bulgaria in the period between 1956 and 1989 The decorative reliefs the artist sculpted for two iconic theatres − Sofia Theatre in the Bulgarian capital (1973 – 75) and the Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin (1982 – 84) − are featured The exhibition seeks to cast a critical eye over the general perception of the female creator in Bulgaria during the second half of the twentieth century − as avant-garde and brave; it gives us the opportunity to delve for the first time into the colourful world of the artist to become acquainted with her new visual language for that time and to appreciate a novel experience of the public architectural space The stone reliefs of the Sofia Theatre and the concrete reliefs of the Friedrichstadt-Palast form elements playing a lively rhythm in the architectural ensemble With her use of bas-relief in harmony with the proportions of the façade Emilia Nikolova-Bayer has left her original mark on contemporary architecture Photographs from Emilia and Rainer Bayer’s personal archive are on display stone inscriptions and drawings to sculptures of various sizes in a range of materials by the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning Berlin and the artist Kalin Serapionov a cast member of ‘full-on’ stage show The Wyld The Wyld, our show at the Friedrichstadt-Palast It gives a taste of the incredible energy of the city – very creative The Palast is an enormous building with a really big stage – we play to almost 2,000 people every night These gorgeous dogs are all different sizes and ages – the oldest but there’s an optional training class at 1.30pm Jemima Rose Dean and have a really firm technical background There are so many different numbers to revisit especially if someone is ill or away and we have to fill in the gaps and there’s a really good atmosphere – it’s not as competitive as the ballet world We spend most of our waking hours together and I’ve got so many close friends in the company We even go out together on nights when we’re not performing ‘It’s all about the energy’ … The WyldIn The Wyld It’s so much fun and you can really be yourself It’s about the energy – the auditorium is well lit so we all remember that we’re there for the audience I ride a BMX bike over the stage in the Urban Tribes scene and my favourite role is the sporty girl – I’m quite sporty myself The most bonkers costumes are for the Alien Ball in the finale We have full bodysuits encrusted with rhinestones and Swarovski crystals ‘I’m always up for a challenge’ … Jemima Rose DeanI also do an aerial dance duet. That was a bit scary at first, but we worked for six months with a performer from Cirque du Soleil you don’t often get the chance to learn something new The Erotic Duo is very sensual: we spin around on a hoop and are lifted at least six metres in the air but because we do it so often we’re really fit – I sometimes have little aches and pains go straight to bed and sleep for as long as possible „Als ein ‚Festival gegen die Krise’ hatte Dieter Kosslick die 59 Berlinale bezeichnet – ein Filmfest der Superlative ist es geworden das mit mehr als 270.000 gelösten Tickets einen neuen Besucherrekord verzeichnen konnte.“ – Blickpunkt Film Jurypräsidentin Tilda Swinton und Festivaldirektor Dieter Kosslick eröffnen die Berlinale 2009 Internationalen Filmfestspiele Berlin verhießen nichts Gutes: spätestens seit im Sommer 2008 die globale Finanz- und Wirtschaftskrise anfing ihre verhängnisvollen Wellen zu schlagen wie sich die Ereignisse auf die Kulturlandschaft und speziell auf den Festivalbetrieb der Berlinale auswirken würden Es sollte in diesem Jahr nicht so schlimm kommen wie es vielleicht einige befürchtet hatten Der European Film Market (EFM) – als zentraler Handelstreffpunkt der Filmwirtschaft das feinfühligste Barometer in dieser Hinsicht – blieb von den Folgen der Krise zwar nicht unberührt hielt dem entstandenen Druck aber mit einer erstaunlichen Stabilität stand Neben dem lebhaften Marktgeschehen im Martin-Gropius-Bau konnten die „EFM Marriott Offices and Stands“ im gleichnamigen Hotel am Potsdamer Platz als neue zweite EFM Location erfolgreich etabliert werden Nichtsdestotrotz wurden in den EFM Industry Debates anlassbezogen Strategien diskutiert wie man als Filmindustrie den aufkommenden Problemen und sich verändernden Rahmenbedingungen begegnen könnte Zahlen und Fakten 2009 Eine Perspektive bilden (nicht nur) in finanziell schwierigen Zeiten Kollaborationen zwischen Filmproduktionsfirmen dass auch der sechste Berlinale Co-Production Market reges Interesse hervorrief und eine positive Bilanz ziehen konnte: mit 36 vorgestellten Projekten aus 23 Ländern über 1000 arrangierten Produzenten-Meetings und diversen gut besuchten Veranstaltungen wie dem Talent Project Market Die hier gesuchten Talente kamen direkt vom Berlinale Talent Campus im HAU auf dem 347 junge Nachwuchsfilmschaffende aus 103 Ländern unter dem Titel „Suddenly It All Happened - The turning point in close-up” zusammentrafen Gemeinsam mit seinem Organisationsteam und zahlreichen Experten sorgte der neue Programmleiter Matthijs Wouter Knol nicht nur für die eingehende Beschäftigung mit Wendepunkten aller Art sondern auch für eine ganze Reihe fachmännischer Inspirationsquellen sowie die Begegnung und Vernetzung der Talente untereinander Die Finanzkrise sollte sich auch in vielen Festivalbeiträgen widerspiegeln, und zwar im weiten Sinne einer (mehr oder weniger direkten) Reflexion der bestehenden Wirtschafts- und Gesellschaftsstrukturen. Den Auftakt machte Tom Tykwers Eröffnungsfilm The International über die kriminellen Umtriebe und politischen Einflussnahmen internationaler Finanzwirtschaftsakteure Unterschiedliche Auseinandersetzungen mit den weltweiten Verflechtungen oder Ungleichgewichten ökonomischer und sozialer Wirkungsmächte fanden sich in der Folge in nahezu alle Festivalsektionen Nicht zuletzt spielte das Thema auch in der Reihe Kulinarisches Kino eine gewichtige Rolle: Food, Inc. von Robert Kenner nimmt die Machenschaften global agierender Lebensmittelkonzerne kritisch unter die Lupe und füllte den Friedrichstadt-Palast der in diesem Jahr als neue Spielstätte für opulente Berlinale Special Gala-Vorstellungen und Wettbewerbs-Wiederholungen eingeführt wurde Neben dem Cinema Paris im Institut Français als weiterem neuen Kino des Berlinale Special und dem Cosima in dem die Langzeitdokumentation Berlin – Ecke Bundesplatz präsentiert wurde hatte insbesondere der Erfolg des Friedrichstadt-Palastes – mit seinen 1750 verfügbaren Sitzplätzen nun die größte Spielstätte der Filmfestspiele – einen großen Anteil an der im Vergleich zum Vorjahr enormen Steigerung der Kartenverkaufszahlen (274.112 Tickets gegenüber 240.098 in 2008) Gleichzeitig sind die Zahlen natürlich ein Indiz für die ungebrochene Anziehungskraft die die Berlinale auf das Publikum ausübt: „Das Festival [...] ist ein Plädoyer fürs Kinogehen und Jahr für Jahr wird es gehört“ (FAZ) Ralph Fiennes und Kate Winslet beim Photo-Call zu Der Vorleser Auf dem roten Teppich des Wettbewerbs tummelten sich gewohntermaßen die meisten internationalen Filmgrößen wie Demi Moore Erst das Zusammentreffen mit dem Berliner Publikum jedoch geriet wieder einmal zum entscheidenden Distinktionsmerkmal im Vergleich der großen Filmfestivals ausführlich Zeit für Autogramme nehmen Weltstars wie Brenda Blethyn oder Stephen Frears die nach der Vorführung noch im Kinofoyer stehen und offen mit dem Publikum diskutieren Wenn die internationalen Stars immer wieder erklären sie kämen leidenschaftlich gern nach Berlin den Galerien geschuldet – sondern eben auch diesem direkten Kontakt zu einem einzigartig enthusiastischen Publikum“ (Tagesspiegel) Maurice Jarre mit seinem Goldenen Ehrenbären Die von Claus Löser kuratierten Filme die zwischen 1977 und 1989 in den ehemaligen Ostblockländern sowie der Bundesrepublik entstanden waren kündeten auf je eigene und subtile Weise von den damals bevorstehenden politischen Umwälzungen Geschichten und Themen sowie die Begeisterung des Berliner Publikums trugen ihren Teil zu der überwiegend positiven Resonanz auf die 59 Internationalen Filmfestspiele bei: „Das Prinzip dieses immer noch politischsten Festivals der A-Liga war es immer die beiden essentiellen Aspekte des Kinos zusammenzubringen: Den Glamour den große Stars und opulente Erzählfilme verströmen - und die experimentelle die neue Bildsprachen ausprobiert und ungeschminkt vom sozialen Alltag berichtet Berlin ist es in diesem Jahr erneut gelungen diese Rechnung aufgehen zu lassen“ (Spiegel Online).