Part of a series of mini profiles on the movers and shakers that make the Berlinale one of the most important events in the international film calendar: the filmmakers, programmers, curators, industry promoters and visitors, from rookies to veterans.
Name & role: Laura Schmidt, Managing Director of the Wim Wenders Foundation, Dusseldorf, since 2012.
This is my 8th Berlinale.
What does a typical day at the Berlinale look like for you?
EXTREMELY BUSY. It is incredibly nice to meet everyone I am in touch with all year long, but it is a challenge to find the right balance between quality and productive time. This year even more so since all important partners and friends of the Foundation will come to Berlin to celebrate Wim with us!
What the Honorary Golden Bear for Wim Wenders at Berlinale 2015 means to you:
It is the result of two years of a very hard work. We started very small and reached the point were we now come out and show the work that was done. Until now it seemed impossible, but
we will show 10 films of which seven were digitally restored within the last year! It is an honour to Wim’s oeuvre and proves that we are prepared to honour it for decades to come.
Biggest goal for the Wim Wenders Foundation for 2015:
Somehow normality. We want to continue our work of
preservation, restoration, research and distribution of Wim Wenders’ work. The biggest goal will still be to make this possible with the limited resources we have.
Film I am personally looking forward to most at the Berlinale: EVERY THING WILL BE FINE!
(... which premieres tonight at the Berlinale Palast)
by
Jutta Brendemühl
photo Tim Gutzeit, courtesy Laura Schmidt
