German Film Renaissance

Once a year, Germans rule the Curzon Soho art movie theater in the center of London: The cinema hosts the Festival of German Films, which was put on for the ninth time last November.

Munich-based German Films Service + Marketing, an umbrella organization for the country's film industry that promotes German films abroad is behind the event that's also held in Buenos Aires, Copenhagen, Los Angeles, Madrid, Melbourne, Moscow, New York, Paris, Stockholm, Sydney and Tokyo.

In London, German films have become much more popular over the last few years, according to the festival's organizers.

"The British want to see more of it, because the Germans tell stories that everyone can identify with -- even abroad," said Iris Ordonez, the company's representative in Britain. "It's not about pretty tales, but about life as it is."

Major shake-up

Germany's film industry is indeed undergoing a major shake-up for the first time in probably two decades. German productions get more attention abroad than ever as a new film culture -- often referred to as "New German Wave" or "Berlin School" -- emerged over the last view years.

German films have also won more awards internationally than ever before. "Good Bye, Lenin!" and "Head-On" consecutively received the European Film Award, followed by "The Lives of Others" in 2006. Two years earlier, "The Edukators" became the first German movie in a long time to be chosen for the official competition at the Cannes Film Festival.

"The Downfall," "Sophie Scholl: The Final Days" and "The Story of the Weeping Camel" all received Oscar nomination, with Caroline Link actually taking home the trophy for "Nowhere in Africa." This year, "The Lives of Others" might follow suit.

Movies without make-up

Many young film directors are not interested in making major movies along the lines of Hollywood blockbusters, but focus on authentic stories in their films. They want to depict reality -- without make-up, without knick-knack and without artificiality. They're saving on dialogue, gestures and wild cuts. Dramatic moments are often presented in a quiet and casual way. It's a strong characteristic that's valued abroad.

What's decisive is that the films deal with universal subjects such as immigration, fear of social decline and nationalism, but also love and friendship that touch people around the world.

Not bigger than life

Film director Matthias Luthardt's award-winning "Pingpong," for example, shows a seemingly happy family and the internal and external forces that weigh it down. The film's been successful with international audiences in Cannes, Prague and Kiev.

"Stories about everyday life do well abroad," he said. "The films that have been produced in Germany in the last couple of years are not bigger than life, but simply recount reality."

People simply want to identify with characters in movies, said Michael Hofmann, whose film "Eden" about an eccentric chef was screened at the London festival.

"People are basically not that different," he said. "There has to be something universal that connects us all."