German films see gain

Germany’s long-languishing film industry is enjoying a powerful revival as audiences tire of Hollywood and its special effects, Culture Minister Christina Weiss says.

As the 55th Berlin Film Festival got underway this week, Weiss said that cinema-goers in Germany and across Europe were rediscovering European films because they touch nerves with stories closer to home.

“I think the idea of a world market for film is getting a bit worn out and people are turning away from all the special effects,” Weiss said.

German films took 24% of the German box office in 2004, up from 17% in 2003 and the biggest return since records started in 1990.

“Audiences here want to see authentic films about European people dealing with the mentalities and stories that happen here,” Weiss said.

Hollywood’s powerful film industry has long dominated Germany and markets across Europe, commanding up to 80% of the local box offices in the past.

Although reluctant to link European pining for domestic films to the transatlantic dispute over the Iraq war, which ordinary Europeans overwhelmingly opposed, Weiss said there were a “number of factors” behind Europe’s resurgent film industries.

“There’s a new European identity,” she said, hinting that the Iraq war had played a part. “After such a tumultuous era, ‘European culture’ has taken on a new meaning. There’s a new curiosity of what makes us what we are.”

Three of the top six films at the German box office last year were German productions, including the science-fiction spoof “Dreamship Enterprise,” which earned $67 million.