Berlin, the home to the International Film Festival, is recognized internationally as a renowned arts city.
"In 1961, the Berlin wall was constructed and separated physically the city for the following decades, making it the hotspot of the cold war. The wall transformed the social structure of neighbourhoods, employment and shopping patterns changed in one night and the public transport system was cut in half" (Koukoufikis, p.5). This seperation formed two different realities for the citizens of the same city. Although those years saw economic downturn, at the same time however, the ongoing reconstruction process kept on, creating the city’s new neighbourhoods and landmarks (Koukoufikis). In 1989, the Berlin wall fell, allowing the country’s reunification. "The Reunification brings both joy and skepticism to the citizensd since the different value systems, economic backgrounds, lifestyles and attitudes had to come together (Kouokoufikis). The high unemployment rates made this process difficult, but in 1999, it changed dramatically.
"Berlin is well known for its creativity, especially as an internationally renowned arts city" (Jakob, p.195)
The reunification of Berlin as a whole in 1989 created the path to what Berlin has to offer today. The creative and cultural economies existing today would not be as advanced without the challenges they previously had addressed. As DJ Ellen Allien says “Few other cities have been shaped by individual imaginations, either brilliantly creative or unspeakably evil. Start again, start again. Look back at the past; never forget it. Like an Irish playwright said, ‘You must go on, I can’t go on, I’ll go on.’
Berlin’s cultural infrastructure includes 56 theatres, 157 museums, 266 movie theatres and 440 galleries. The East Side gallery is considered to be the longest open air gallery in the world and also the longest surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall (1,316 km). In addition, Berlin is the only city in the world with 3 opera houses, leftovers of the divided past’s duplicate infrastructure (Koukoufikis). This Infrastructure has helped Berlin be a host city for the International Film Festival for the past seven decades.
Initiated by the state-led public administration, the department of economics paved the way for a network called CREATE BERLIN. It is an association of designers and was founded at the beginning of 2006 only a few months after the UNESCO awarded Berlin the title of ‘City of Design’ (Lange. p. 192). The Creative Industries sector has nearly 23,000 businesses and 160,000 people working for them. The city’s economy is impacted largely by the Creative industries in Berlin, which generates over €17.5 billion euro in revenues, which is accounted for over 13% of the city’s economic performance (Koukoufikis). Through strong networks and community connection, Berlin can maintain the cities livelihood while continuing to develop the creative sectors.
(Jazeera, A. 2018)
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