Blogs

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Blog
Bicultural Urbanite

Brianna Summers and other Berlin-based Australians blog about life and culture in the German capital, exclusively for the Goethe-Institut. #BiculturalUrbanite

© Brianna Summers

Bicultural Urbanite Brianna
The evolution of Mauerpark

To the untrained eye, Mauerpark looks like an abandoned lot. This grungy yet hugely popular green space is renowned for its sprawling flea market, open-air karaoke and historic significance. Now, thanks to the completion of a major redevelopment, there’s twice as much room to party.

© ROH Tristram Kenton

Guest blogger Siobhan
The essence of us all

Celebrated Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg was in Sydney for concerts when the global shutdowns began. She flew home to Berlin and watched her calendar of performances crumble like dominoes before her eyes. The silver lining? She’s learned to unplug and discovered the theatrical talents of Mother Nature.

© Brianna Summers

Bicultural Urbanite Brianna
Bike city: Reimagining the urban landscape

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted a rethink about how we should live, work and travel. Berlin is making the best of a bad situation by expediting further improvements to its bike infrastructure.

© Bedneyimages - Freepik.com

Film
Kino in Oz

For #kinoinoz, Brisbane-based film critic Sarah Ward takes a closer look at German films screening down under. Here you'll find everything from film reviews and interviews to festival previews.

Graphic: Tobias Schrank © Goethe-Institut

Berlinale Bloggers 2020
Curtains up!

17 film journalists from 14 countries and regions meet in Berlin and present their views on the Berlinale. As Berlinale bloggers they are looking for stories - on the screen and behind the scenes of the film festival, which celebrates its 70th birthday in 2020.

© 2018 LAMF Shirley Inc.

Berlinale Bloggers 2020
A literary legend and an Aussie up-and-comer

Elisabeth Moss stars as writer Shirley Jackson in the thorny and compelling psychological thriller Shirley - and she’s well-matched by Australian actor Odessa Young.

© Ben King

Berlinale Bloggers 2020
"Stateless" confronts a reality nobody can run from

Co-created, co-produced and co-starring Cate Blanchett, the excellent Berlinale-premiering six-part television series Stateless tackles a topic that deserves greater attention on Australian screens.

Photo (detail): © Hans Fromm/Schramm Film

Berlinale Bloggers 2020
Petzold’s alluring fairytale "Undine" makes its mark

Berlinale favourite Christian Petzold returns to the festival’s official competition, this time reworking the titular German myth as a modern-day romance.

©Goethe-Institut

German-Aussie Stories

A selection of our best stories and interviews highlighting the connections between Germany and Australia.

© Roland Spratte

SKIN
Breaking down barriers with an intimate dance duet

Berlin-based performers Renae Shadler and Roland Walter are combining for two unique shows at opposite ends of Australia. The unfinished piece, entitled SKIN, aims to build audiences’ capacity for intimacy, environmental sensitivity and inclusiveness.

© Western Sydney Wanderers

A-League adventures
Football far from home

There’s been a recent increase in the number of German, and German-speaking, players showing up in Australia’s premier football competition, the A-League. Sun, surf and soccer might seem like the perfect combination for a European footballer looking to broaden his horizons, but it can be testing too.

Copyright: Chris Dingle / Photo courtesy of State Library of NSW

New publication
Bernhard Holtermann: A life of many chapters

Arriving as a German migrant to Australia in the late 1850s, Bernhard Holtermann was a man of many talents – ranging from arts philanthropist to gold digger. A newly released book by German journalist Christoph Hein documents his varied life.