The Berlin International Film Festival will commemorate these outstanding artists by presenting three special screenings in their honour.
British music legend and artist David Bowie was one of most extraordinary all-round talents of recent decades. His close ties to Berlin go back to the time he spent in the German capital from 1976 to 1978. At the Berlinale he appeared in the documentaries Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart (D: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Panorama 1998), Scott Walker - 30 Century Man (D: Stephen Kijak, Panorama 2007), and Let’s Dance: Bowie Down Under (dir: Rubika Shah, Generation 2015); as well as in the fiction films The Man Who Fell to Earth (D: Nicolas Roeg, Competition 1976) and Mr Rice’s Secret (D: Nicholas Kendall, Generation 2000).
“David Bowie was a tremendous musician, an avant-garde artist who expressed his creativity in many disciplines,” says Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick.
To commemorate David Bowie, the 66th Berlin International Film Festival will show The Man Who Fell to Earth by Nicolas Roeg. The screening will take place with the support of Studiocanal at Friedrichstadt-Palast on Friday, February 12 at 9.00 pm.
Alan Rickman was one of the most distinguished character actors of stage and screen. The Briton achieved global fame especially for his performances in films such as Die Hard (D: John McTiernan, 1988), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (D: Kevin Reynolds, 1991) and as Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films (2001-2011). Rickman was a guest of the Berlinale several times – with the Competition entries Sense and Sensibility (D: Ang Lee, 1995) and Snow Cake (D: Marc Evans, 2006), as well as with Close My Eyes (D: Stephen Poliakoff, 1991) in the Panorama section.
“His ability to transform himself, his artistry in playing ambivalent characters and his distinctive voice made Alan Rickman a great actor,” says Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick.
To commemorate Alan Rickman the Berlinale will show Sense and Sensibility by Ang Lee, winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlinale in 1996. The screening will take place at Kino International on Tuesday, February 16 at 10.30 pm.
Ettore Scola, one of Italy’s greatest filmmakers, directed over 40 films and received countless awards. While he was still a cartoonist for a satirical newspaper, Federico Fellini introduced him into the world of post-war Italian cinema. However it was not until 1964, after years of working as a screenwriter, that he made his own directorial debut with Let’s Talk About Women. In the 1970s, Ettore Scola found international success with films such as We All Loved Each Other So Much (1974); Ugly, Dirty and Bad (1976), for which he won best director at Cannes; and A Special Day, which picked up two Oscar nominations in 1978. Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, Nino Manfredi and Jean-Louis Trintignant are only a few of the legendary stars that he directed, and some of them a number of times. In 1984 with Le bal, he participated for the first time in the Competition of the Berlinale and won the Silver Bear for Best Director. He returned to Berlin with the Competition entry Captain Fracassa’s Journey in 1991.
“Ettore Scola was a master of Italian comedy, a social critic who observed everyday life with intelligence, wit and political acumen,” says Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick.
To commemorate Ettore Scola, the 66th Berlin International Film Festival will show the film Le bal at CinemaxX 6 on Thursday, February 18 at 4.00 pm.