Berlin Film Fest to Pay Tribute to David Bowie, Alan Rickman

Berlin, Feb 2 (IANS) The Berlin International Film Festival will pay tribute to late singer David Bowie, actor Alan Rickman and Italian director Ettore Scola by presenting special screenings in their honour.

To commemorate Bowie, the festival will show English director Nicolas Roeg’s “The Man Who Fell to Earth” at Friedrichstadt-Palast here on February 12, reports variety.com.

“David Bowie was a tremendous musician, an avant-garde artist who expressed his creativity in many disciplines,” festival director Dieter Kosslick said.

Bowie’s ties to Berlin go back to the time he spent in the city from 1976 to 1978.

At the festival, he appeared in the documentaries “Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart”, “Scott Walker - 30 Century Man” and “Let’s Dance: Bowie Down Under” as well as the fiction films “The Man Who Fell to Earth” and “Mr. Rice’s Secret.”

In memory of Rickman, the Berlinale will show Ang Lee’s “Sense and Sensibility,” winner of the Golden Bear at the gala in 1996. The screening will take place at Kino International on February 16.

“His ability to transform himself, his artistry in playing ambivalent characters and his distinctive voice made Alan Rickman a great actor,” Kosslick said.

Rickman was a guest of the Berlinale several times with the competition entries “Sense and Sensibility” and “Snow Cake” as well as with “Close My Eyes” in the Panorama section.

To commemorate Scola, the festival will show his film “Le bal” at CinemaxX 6 on February 18. He was in Berlin competition with “Le bal” in 1984, and won the Silver Bear for director. He returned with the competition entry “Captain Fracassa’s Journey” in 1991.

“Ettore Scola was a master of Italian comedy, a social critic who observed everyday life with intelligence, wit and political acumen,” Kosslick said.