Visiting the Berlin Film Museum

There may be a lot of you film buffs out there who are already up-to-speed on classic German films like "Metropolis", "The Blue Angel" and "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari". But I think I've got one up on you. I may not be a film expert, but I just got a whole lot smarter about "the business" - film in general, that is, and German film in particular - after having visited The Berlin Film Museum.

It's a museum that is certainly easy enough to find. Everyone who comes to Berlin stops by to visit the beautiful circular courtyard of the Sony Center. And that's where you'll find this sleek futuristic complex, generously spread out throughout three floors of this great, spacious structure. Designed by celebrity architect Helmut Jahn, The Berlin Film Museum guides you through 100 years of film history, with a focus on that golden era when films made in Berlin came close to challenging those of Hollywood.

The "Permanent Exhibition" is essentially a condensed journey through German film history. Beginning in the early "Metropolis"-years of silent films, it takes you on to the "Blue Angel"-period of the Weimar Republic years and beyond. The "Transatlantic" section is particularly interesting. During the 1920s, many of Europe's filmmakers and stars went to Hollywood to do American versions of the films produced here (most of which failed miserably). Propaganda film under National Socialism is then covered, of course, as are the individual famous exiles of Hollywood who managed to escape the Nazi terror. Post-war cinema and contemporary film are explored in great detail, but the heart of the exhibition remains, understandably, the Marlene Dietrich Collection.

Marlene Dietrich, born and buried in Berlin, is without a doubt Germany's most famous film icon and accordingly, three entire rooms highlight the Marlene Dietrich Collection here. There are a total of 130 items on display, among them her screen and show costumes, several portraits and vintage prints, personal accessories and other small items - though there are also quite a few larger items, too, like the eight enormous metal cases that held her luggage! Several small clips from her films can also be seen here, among them some famous footage of her speaking out against Nazism and angering her home country. There are also several home movie clips of interest.

The "Retrospective" is the Film Museum's other large exhibition area and always worth visiting. Just bring a lot of time with you when you come. It changes on a regular basis, of course and has already managed to put a wide area of fascinating individuals and subjects under its belt, a few examples among them being: Billy Wilder, Erich von Stroheim, Fritz Lang, F. W. Murnau, European 60s, New Hollywood, Cold War, Exile and Artificial Humans.

Interestingly enough, the Berlin Film Museum also offers its visitors a large public library. Berlin university students and professors, historians and film researchers and just "plain old" interested individuals can take advantage of a large selection of modern and historical documentation. Many publications on film history are available, as are books about the history of photography, film theory, film genres and aesthetics. There are also screenplays, books on scriptwriting, biographies and memoirs to be found.

And in the coming spring of 2006, the first German museum for television will open here. It will highlight the many stars of the medium, investigate broadcasting technology and politics and will play its role in the preservation of German television history. And one special event is already being eagerly awaited: The celebration of the FIFA World Cup, world soccer's great sporting event which will be held in Germany next year. This will be the Television Museum's first exhibition and is scheduled for May.

I have ended up spending much more time at the Film Museum than had I planned to - every time that I come here. Although, I must say, I always leave the place thinking that I should have stayed a little longer. So film buff or not, come by for a visit and you too can get a lot smarter about German film history.

Berlin Film Museum
Potsdamer Strasse 2
10785 Berlin-Tiergarten
Tel: +49 (30) 300-9030
www.filmmuseum-berlin.de