NEWS
Vaclav Havel honours "Letter to Anna"
Anna Politkovskayas family, Eric Bergkraut and Catherine Deneuve
Premier in the Berliner Ensemble with Regisseur Eric Bergkraut and Garri Kasparov
Berlin- The Cinema for Peace co-produced Documentary 'Letter to Anna' has been presented with the 'Audience Award' at the "One World
International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival 2008" in Prague.
The festival, whose jury's honorary chairman is former Czech president Vaclav Havel, honours films that make an exceptional
contribution to the protection of human rights.
The jury praised the film 'Letter to Anna' as a complex portrait of Anna Politkovskaya, a journalist and human rights fighter who was
among the critics of the ‘second Chechen war’, condemning the massacre of civilians by the Russian military and the way in which
President Vladimir Putin's rule gradually brought the country back to dictatorship.
"Cinema for Peace 2008"- A benefit for UNIFEM and the "Cinema for Peace Foundation"
"Cinema for Peace 2008" was graced with the presence of a great number of international stars. On February 11th,
committed artists from all over the world a took a stand for peace with Sir Ben Kingsley, Anna Netrebko, Hilary Swank,
Bob Geldof, Christopher Lee and Catherine Deneuve at the Konzerthaus in Berlin.
The „Cinema for Peace Most Valuable Movie of the Year"-Award was given to Catherine Deneuve and Jasmin Tabatabai
for their voices in the French and German versions of "Persepolis". This auction alone, hosted by Simon de Pury,
secured donations of about 300, 000 Euros.
"Letter To Anna"
The film 'Letter To Anna' was widely acclaimed when it received its premiere at the Berliner Ensemble on Sunday 10th February. The screening proved to be of such great interest that there was standing room only in the packed hall, but despite the heat and discomfort, everyone present was gripped by this compulsive documentary, and both the film and its director Eric Bergkraut were given a lengthy round of applause as it finished. 'Letter To Anna' was initiated at the Cinema For Peace Gala in 2007, when Zainap Gaschaieva, in her acceptance speech for the International Human Rights Award 2007, called for more to be done to track down the killers of her friend, Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaja. Cinema for Peace answered her call, together with Eric Bergkraut, and the film received its initial screening exactly one year later, as part of Cinema for Peace 2008. The producers were assisted by an international group of supporters, with narrations provided by Susan Sarandon and Richard Gere (English version), Iris Berben (German) and Catherine Deneuve (French). The brave and important documentary will now be distributed to a wider audience, in the hope of bringing about justice for Anna Politkovskaja.
CINEMA FOR PEACE 2008
On February 11th, 2008 numerous international stars gather again as honorary hosts at the "Cinema for Peace" Gala in Berlin! In its seventh year, the Gala brings together greats from film and other media, who take a stand for a peaceful and more humane world, with influential personalities from politics, the corporate world and culture. Richard Gere, George Clooney, Catherine Deneuve, Liza Minnelli, Iris Berben, Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway, Christopher Lee - these are only a few of the stars who support "Cinema for Peace".
Robert Redford - Can a movie change political minds?
CINEMA FOR PEACE met with Robert Redford at the premiere of his movie „Lions for Lambs" in Berlin. In the subsequent panel discussion with former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, he was asked if movies could influence political agendas. To much amusement, he replied that unfortunately cinema has a stronger influence on fashion than politics and that his moustache in „Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" had been more imitated than any proposal he had made in his political movies! However, in a discussion with the founder of Cinema for Peace, Jaka Bizilj, he agreed that the intention of CINEMA FOR PEACE in producing movies like the documentary „Letter to Anna" by Eric Bergkraut in order to raise awarness for human rights was an important one and something his Sundance Film Festival has been doing for many years.
Cinema for Peace at Clinton Global Initiative
At this year´s annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative from September 26th to 28th in New York, the founder of Cinema for Peace, Jaka Bizilj, met
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, amongst others. Common projects, like Angelina Jolie´s commitment to refugees, were discussed. Brad Pitt´s initiative
"Make it Right", for reconstruction of district 9 in New Orleans, was an important topic. In 2005 it was completely destroyed by hurricane Katrina. Due to
insufficient financial support, it has not been rebuilt to this day.
All participants have issued a statement that Cinema for Peace is
pleased to introduce a so-called "Green Oscar". This award will be given on February 11th 2008 in Berlin at the CFP Gala for the first time.
Roland Emmerich and Marco Kreuzpaintner honored with a Cinema for Peace Special Award
For the first time a Cinema for Peace Special Award was given at the Hessian Movie Awards on October 12th 2007 in the Old Opera in Frankfurt, Germany. This Award was given to Roland Emmerich and Marco Kreuzpaintner as producer and director of the movie TRADE. This honors their extraordinary committment toward the topic of human trafficking, which is also the spotlight of the movie, and their courage to publish and to show the movie in theaters all over the world.
Documentary about Anna Politkovskaja
Together with the Chechen activist Zainap Gaschaieva, the Swiss filmmaker Eric Bergkraut received the "International Human Rights Film Award" by Amnesty International and Cinema for Peace at this year "Cinema for Peace" Gala in February in Berlin. Cinema for Peace is co – producing with Eric Bergkraut a documentary about the murdered Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaja. This film presents this woman´s personal dedication and struggle for justice but also draw a picture of the political situation in Russia toward the end of Putin´s second term. This case of Politovskaja is highly symbolic and casts a shadow on the development of democracy in Russia. This documentary will be presented at "Cinema for Peace" 2008 in Berlin and will also be shown all over Europe before the elections in Russia in March 2008.
"Cinema for Peace" plans worldwide campaign against poverty
On September 2nd, Jaka Bizilj, the founder and initiator of “Cinema for Peace”, met with Nelson Mandela in Monte Carlo
at an invitation of Prince Albert II of Monaco to honour the achievement of Nelson Mandela. Inspired by the meeting with
Nelson Mandela, Jaka Bizilj created a new campaign against extreme poverty which he will introduce from September 26th to 28th
at the “Clinton Global Initiative” in New York.
Cinema for Peace keeps supporting “Schools for Africa”, a campaign by Unicef and the Nelson Mandela Organisation.
The formation of the „Cinema for Peace Foundation" in the Fall of 2007
The first „Cinema for Peace"-Gala in Berlin in February 2002 was the beginning of a remarkable success story. About 600 decision-makers from the areas of film, culture and the media, the corporate world and society gathered during the Berlinale International Film Festival in the Konzerthaus in Berlin to demonstrate the power images have to bring people from all over the world together. Today, the event stands as a symbol for peace, freedom, tolerance and humanity. Apart from that, it is also an effective platform for a free exchange of ideas, which allows cinematographic projects to be effectively initiated or successfully sponsored. After six years of successful work, "Cinema for Peace" has arrived at a point where it can draw on its strong foundation and its motives and directives can be presented with a clear and focused long-term perspective. So it is only coherent to organize the work for "Cinema for Peace" in the form of a foundation, which accommodates this development: the "Cinema for Peace Foundation". It will be formed in the Fall of 2007.
G8 in Germany - A Chance for the World
The numerous campaigns, Cinema for Peace and its partners have been involved in, have not been without effect: Germany has committed itself to keeping its promises, and the federal government has agreed to increase the budget for development aid in 2008 to 750 Million Euros. On the ocassion of the summit Pope Benedict XVI. too has called on the rich industrialized countries to meet their obligations regarding poverty-reduction. He said: "The rich countries must not lose track of the so called Millenium Development Goals (MDG)". He especially urged to implement UN-Millenium Goal Nr. 2, aiming at giving a primary education to every child in the world.
Special issue on Africa of BILD with Bob Geldof
On June 1 Sir Bob Geldof was editor-in-chief for one day
at BILD-Zeitung, europe's largest newspaper. He framed the entire issue around the topic: How can Germany and the world help Africa? In an Interview conducted
by Bob Geldof Chacellor Angela Merkel agreed to put more and better aid for africa on top of the agenda at the G8-Summit. She promised to emphatically seek
progress benefiting the disadvantaged countries.
Premiere of Suddenly Gina
On May 22 "Suddenly Gina" - co-produced and presented by "Cinema for Peace" had its glamorous and much celebrated premiere at a theater on Potsdamer Platz in
Berlin, attendend by Sir Bob Geldof, the main actors of the film Julia Jentsch, Jan-Josef Liefers and Iris Berben, the director and the producers as well as
Peter Krämer for "Schools for Africa".
Peter Krämer asked for ten people to stand up and donate 1000 Euros each on the spot for the charity – and he was succesful! 10 000 Euros is the amount
necessary to build a basic school in Africa.
On may 29 the film broadcast on television reached out to over 4 million viewers, transporting the urgent political message to fight poverty to the general
audience as well as to the G8-Summit, held in Germany June 6-8.
Remake of "The Girl in the Café"
Following an initiative from Bob Geldof and Richard Curtis Cinema for peace is producing a German remake of the film The Girl in the Café. The original was
first presented to the public in Germany at the 2006 "Cinema for Peace"-Gala and was awarded for "Best Director-Screenwriter".
Just recently this parable about unconventional love and universal responsibility received 3 prices at the "My-Awards", regarded the most important TV-Awards
worldwide. "The Girl in the Café" tells a romantic story in the surrounding of the G8-Summit and mediates emotional messages aiming at sensitizing the viewers
for continuous problems in the developing world. The German remake ("Frühstück mit einer Unbekannten", international title: "Suddenly Gina") will be aired on
Sat1 on May 29th at primetime, a few days in advance of this years´ G8-Summit in Heiligendamm. It is part of a series of activities supposed to create a
positive atmosphere of expectations toward the eight most powerful politicians on the planet in matters of poverty-reduction, educational initiatives and
reduction of unfair trade barriers.
G8-Theatrical Spot with Bob Geldof and Katja Riemann
As an awareness-raising reminder for the G8-Summit taking place June 6-8 2007 in Heiligendamm Cinema for Peace and Star Entertainment have produced a theatrical
spot with prominent support from Katja Riemann and Bob Geldof. They call on the politicians to meet their promises regarding the UN-Millennium Development Goals
especially regarding the fight against poverty.
"NOT THE SAME PROCEDURE - DINNER FOR ALL"
Bob Geldof to be editor-in-chief of BILD-Zeitung
Bob Geldof is following unconventional ways of promoting dedication in help for Africa. On June 1st he will be the editor-in-chief of BILD-Zeitung, the paper with the highest circulation in Germany.
Bob Geldof's New Year's Address to readers of the BILD Zeitung
Please, not the "Same Procedure As Every Year"! This will be a significant year for Germany. I know that many of you do not think so. Many of you are suffering financial difficulties. Many of you are still unemployed. But things will get better. In 2007, your economy will grow and will help to make your living conditions better. Unfortunately, this is not true for hundreds of millions of people in Africa.