Culture Calendar
April 30, 2010Theater in Berlin
The popping of champagne corks in a few of Europe's best German-language theaters means the invitation to Berlin has arrived. The ten "most remarkable" plays of the year get invited to the Theatertreffen, or "Theater Encounter" in Berlin. A jury of theater critics selects the plays each year from a pool of about 400 productions. The plays will be presented from May 7-23 in Berlin, accompanied by organized discussions, premiere parties and workshops for young thespians. As part of the "International Forum," 43 directors, actors and playwrights from 20 different countries are also invited to Berlin to meet and mingle.
Amazon Opera in Munich
At the 2010 Music Biennale in Munich the theme is "The Gaze of the Other." Appropriately, one of the highlights of this year's festival will be the world premiere of the "Amazon Opera" - a cooperative project with the indigenous Yanomani people of the Amazon, sponsored in part by the Goethe Institute. The piece shows different ways of viewing nature, contrasting the scientific approach of Europe with the cosmological, spiritual approach of Yanomani shamans. The piece's Brazilian composer, Tato Taborda, described his work with the Yanomani as "intense" and the sounds of the Amazonian rainforest as an "unbelievably rich polyphony." The "Amazon Opera" will go for two years, with its Munich premiere on May 8 and further performances in Brazil and Portugal.
Cannes Film Festival
Every year the film world turns its gaze toward Cannes, where the international film festival will take place this year from May 12-23. There, the German co-production "You, My Joy" ("Mein Glueck") by Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa will be competing with movies from around the world. The director's budget came from his homeland as well as Germany and the Netherlands. Meanwhile, most of the films in the competition come from non-European countries, including Korea, Iran, Algeria and Mexico. Ridley Scott's bombastic Hollywood production of "Robin Hood" is set to open the festival May 12, but will not be in the running for prizes. Fans can count on seeing the big stars here on the red carpet, partly because - unlike at this February's Berlin International Film Festival, which was marked by particularly icy wind - at Cannes there should be a warm, Mediterranean breeze.
Passion play in Oberammergau
The once-in-a-lifetime chance to play Jesus is a dream for some young men in Oberammergau. Every 10 years, the small Bavarian town is transformed into a crossroads for tourists from around the globe, who come here to see the world’s most famous passion play. The tradition dates back to 1633, when the region was threatened by the plague. Villagers prayed to God, promising to reenact Jesus' final moments every decade if they were spared. Little did they know how long they would be keeping that promise. This year's performance runs from May 15 to October 10, and is the result of months of rehearsals. Strict rules dictate the performance: townsmen who want to participate must grow long hair and beards and only town natives may be part of the play, which means that even the mayor can't take part as he is an adopted Oberammergauer.
New Jazz Festival in Moers
From May 21-24, some 20,000 jazz fans are expected to show up with tents and grills for the New Jazz fest in the town of Moers, in North Rhine-Westfalia. Only about half of them buy tickets. The other half pitch tents next to the festival grounds and listen to jazz, electronic, contemporary and world music under open skies. The festival is proud to present new, unknown artists who have an original approach to music making. Its motto: "If you want to know today what's going to be played tomorrow, come to Moers!" Free entrance is given to some concerts, including the "concerts in the dark," performed under a dark tent to create an unadulterated listening experience without distraction.
Balloons mark disused Ruhr coal mines
Big, yellow helium balloons like this one will float over the industrial Ruhr Valley Region starting May 22, marking spots that were once used for coal production. Some of the locations are now businesses, others are theaters and museums, still others lie idle or are protected as cultural heritage sites. Structural transformation is the theme of the SchachtZeichen ("Shaft Markers") festival, which is organized as part of the Ruhr region's 2010 Capital of Culture program. Of the region's 3,000 former collieries, 350 will be marked with balloons. Exhibitions, presentations, neighborhood festivals and bike tours will also take place. Concerning the balloons' color, organizers say the choice of yellow has nothing to do with any corporate sponsor, but was rather a pragmatic choice, as yellow is the most visible color against the sky and from long distances.
German Grilling Championship in Gotha
The middle of May will see the crowning of a new German king: the King of the Grill. A smoky cloud will appear over the central-German town of Gotha as bratwurst breezes fill the air and the German grilling elite is judged in two categories: professionals and amateurs. About 50,000 are expected to attend. This is all just a small taste of a cooking event to come: the 2011 World Grilling Championship in Gronau, Westfalia.
Author: Petra Lambeck (dl)
Editor: Jennifer Abramsohn