Although this year’s Auswahl (selection) of meaningful, important, highly-political and ugly = politically correct films at the Berlin Film Festival is just as big as it ever was – think fascist police in Brazil, Abu Ghraib “standard operation procedures”, Soviet massacres, Madonna’s filth and wisdom (with an emphasis on the filth part) and a wonderfully uplifting paedophile movie starring Tom Arnold – some filmmakers have decided to go against the grain with the shock effect approach and have actually had the nerve to present films with a happy, dopey and even, well, positive view on life.

“Uh, like what was that?” asked one startled film buff after being subjected to “Cherry Blossoms” by German director Doris Dörrie. “If I had wanted to walk out of the Kino in a good mood, I wouldn’t have gone to a German film festival in the first place. And what’s with this Mike Leigh “Happy-Go-Lucky” in London touching comedy love story nonsense? I couldn’t find a political statement in that one at all.”

“I’ve had it with this crap,” another German film-goer added. “The only thing left that sounds like it could be any good at all is “There Will Be Blood” with Daniel Day-Lewis, but if that doesn’t do the trick, you can bet that I’ve had it with this Berlin so-called friggin’ Film Festival.”

Lights, camera, lack of action!

Come visit me at Observing Hermann…