Preface Dr. Volker Hassemer

Dieter Kosslick is a breath of fresh air for the Berlinale. Under Moritz de Hadeln the Berlin film festival had achieved a solid position among the three great festivals. But now in unified Berlin there are quite other potentials, even more challenges. Berlin, formerly the border-town for the world between East and West, now commands a new middle position in a no longer divided Europe. In the truest sense of the word, the city can play a central role in these times where Europe is able to grow together in all fields of cultural, social, economic, and political life.

       Not the Euro ­ rather, this coming-together after a long separation ­ is the sensation on the European continent for decades to come. No doubt, Dieter Kosslick is the best man at the helm to guide the fortunes of film. He is the one with the most experience in the development, the promotion, the production, the gaining of an audience for cinema made in Europe. Berlin’s a special place for film events, not just a festival city. Dieter Kosslick knows this, and he has the talent and vision to make use of the full potential of the city for the Berlinale. In the past that’s the way it had been to a certain extent; in the future it should be more so.

       The Berlin International Film Festival is much more than just a competition ­ it is a grand, creative, and resourceful fest for cinema, for its actors and professionals, also, and above all, for its public. After securing a new festival location on Potsdamer Platz, the Berlinale has now gained a new director. May the hand of fortune help him to fulfill his vision.