Interview: Berlinale offers more than entertainment -- official

 　　BERLIN, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The art-house cinema section at the ongoing¹ Berlinale presents an alternative to mainstream² films as it pushes the audience to think rather than just entertain them, said the director of Berlinale Panorama³.

　　Since 1992, Wieland Speck⁴ has been serving as the director of Panorama, the coveted⁵ section of Berlinale that showcases mostly art-house cinema.

　　The co-existence of Panorama Program and the leading competition one is to balance the need of the audiences and of the film market, Speck told Xinhua, adding that the Panorama Program is more audience-friendly.

　　However, art-house cinema does not automatically⁶ mean no profits, Speck said. "With art-house we make a little money with many films and so a lot of money in the end. So it is a different kind of business."

　　"Just panorama itself has attracted more than 100,000 spectators⁷ in the 10 days of Berlinale, and they are the ones who don't see the mainstream (films). One half of the panorama audiences are regular cinema-goers who buy the tickets themselves," Speck said, stressing that it's very important to understand that filmmakers can make money with art-house.

　　"In our film market we have many medium- and small-sized companies that look for their small films, which absolutely work for targeted audiences, " he said.

　　Speck also explained why Berlinale chose to be staged in harsh⁸ winter season: that the audiences have to feel warm inside while it is cold outside.

　　"Berlinale had been held in June before 1977, then it switched to winter because we wanted people to see the film inside and not to sit outside to enjoy themselves. We are going to be the festival that gets people to work." he said.

　　While in Cannes, stars and people are mostly outdoors talking at the beach, "here people go inside because outside is ugly and cold and sometimes wet, and inside is cinema," Speck said.

　　Noting the difference to its rivals like Cannes, the director noted⁹ that the Berlinale boasts 400,000 sold tickets as thousands of audiences go into the cinema to see the film, while in other film festivals there are only professionals.

　　The director said Berlinale is like a window to the world. "This was the founding of the festival back in 1951 -- to let the world in and to look out to the world," he said.

　　"In Berlinale you can show a lot of difficult films, because only entertainment is not enough," Speck said.

　　"They can say they don't like it and that's their freedom, but here we show alternatives to films offered by the mainstream and the media," he said.

　　As to Chinese films, Speck noted that Berlinale organizers generally have a strong interest in China and its long history. He suggested the next generation of China's young talent could bring their new experiences in the changing society onto the screen, which might help Westerners to better understand China.

1 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

2 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

3 panorama   

n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置]

参考例句：

• A vast panorama of the valley lay before us.山谷的广阔全景展现在我们面前。
• A flourishing and prosperous panorama spread out before our eyes.一派欣欣向荣的景象展现在我们的眼前。

4 speck   

n.微粒，小污点，小斑点

参考例句：

• I have not a speck of interest in it.我对它没有任何兴趣。
• The sky is clear and bright without a speck of cloud.天空晴朗，一星星云彩也没有。

5 coveted   

adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图

参考例句：

• He had long coveted the chance to work with a famous musician. 他一直渴望有机会与著名音乐家一起工作。
• Ther other boys coveted his new bat. 其他的男孩都想得到他的新球棒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 automatically   

adv.不加思索地，无意识地，自动地

参考例句：

• The machine cycles automatically.这台机器自动循环运转。
• She had automatically labelled the boys as troublemakers.她不假思索地认定这些男孩子是捣蛋鬼。

7 spectators   

n.观众，旁观者( spectator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The spectators were wilting visibly in the hot sun. 看得出观众在炎热的阳光下快支撑不住了。
• The policemen asked the spectators to stand well back. 警察要求旁观者靠后站。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 harsh   

adj.严厉（酷）的，刺耳的，刺目的，毛糙的

参考例句：

• The sunlight is very harsh.太阳光很刺眼。
• Although his words are harsh,there is positiveness in them.虽然他的话很苛刻，但有建设性。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。