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How Berlin became home to the Hunger Games

As stars and fans of The Hunger Games series flock to Berlin for the European premiere of its finale on Wednesday, The Local looks at what the city brought to the film - and how exactly Berlin became Panem.

How Berlin became home to the Hunger Games
Mockingjay: Part 2, starring Jennifer Lawrence, premieres in Berlin on November 4th. Photo: DPA

Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games franchise has taken audiences by storm. 

With a novel trilogy having sold 87 million copies worldwide, and a film franchise already making over €900 million at the box office, expectations are high for the release of the story's epic finale Mockingbird: Part 2 this month.

But before then comes the ritual of the film's world premiere – set to take place on Wednesday evening in Berlin.

Hosted at Berlin's futuristic Sony Centre in Potsdamer Platz, the premiere's star-studded guest-list has already attracted hundreds of fans – many of whom camped out overnight in aluminium heat blankets to catch a glimpse of Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen) and the film's other stars.

It was no accident that the world premiere came to Berlin: with parts of the Hunger Games finale filmed in the city, Berlin's “dark architecture” was the backdrop for much of the dystopian epic.

From Nazi airports to techno clubs

In May and June 2014, the Mockingjay cast and crew descended on Berlin.

“The city has a unique monumentalism in its architecture,” said director Francis Lawrence.

“Some of the dark architecture you find in the city suits the movie perfectly,” he told the Berliner Morgenpost.

So where could you go in Berlin to get a first-hand experience of Panem?

 Das Kraftwerk, Berlin Mitte – Beetee's weapons lab, District 13

Das Kraftwerk seemed an ideal location for a weapons lab. Photo: DPA

Built in the 1960s, this former power station supplied Berlin Mitte with energy until 1997.

Now, it's more of a recreational haunt – housing Berlin's famous techno club Tresor, the building also plays host to various concerts, events and exhibitions.

But it was also the perfect location for Beetee's weapons training facility, director Francis Lawrence told MTV.

“The size and scope of this place you can’t replicate, so we wanted to find as real an environment as possible,” Lawrence explained.

“It was actually quite difficult to find environments that felt like they were underground.”

Director Francis Lawrence inside Das Kraftwerk. Photo: DPA

Berlin Tempelhof Airport – District 2

Music fans gathered at Tempelhof in early September for Germany's first Lollapalooza festival. Photo: DPA

Built in 1927 and reconstructed by the Nazis in the 1930s, Tempelhof played a key role in the Allied Forces' famed 1948/9 Berlin Airlift, allowing over 2.3 million tonnes of food and fuel to be delivered into West Berlin after the Soviet Union blocked land routes.

After closing in 2008, it became a popular venue for festivals and public events – and in September, Berlin's iconic former airport made headlines after becoming a mass refugee shelter.

But between its roles in the German cold war and the current refugee crisis, Tempelhof also found time to transform into Panem for a short while.

The team spent 12 days filming here on the grounds of one of the world's largest buildings.

Lawrence and the team spent 12 days filming at Tempelhof. Photo: DPA

Babelsberg Film Studio

The oldest large-scale film studio in the world, Babelsberg has been producing films just outside Berlin since 1912.

In April 2014, a Berlin casting agency sent out a call for around 1,000 extras to feature in scenes filmed at the studio.

The crew was on the lookout for those with African, Asian, Southern European, Turkish or Afro-American appearances.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Rüdersdorf – District 8

Ok, it's not strictly in Berlin – but for those willing to venture a little further afield, Rüdersdorf is another place to catch a glimpse of Katniss Everdeen's world.

A municipality in Brandenburg, Rüdersdorf is the location of a former cement factory – which the Mockingjay cast and crew used during filming of scenes set in Panem's District 8.

Panem arrives in Berlin

Cast and crew began arriving in Berlin in the week before the premiere.

Actor Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne in the series) posted a photo in the city on Tuesday:

 

Good morning Berlin!!

A photo posted by Liam Hemsworth (@liamhemsworth) on Nov 2, 2015 at 3:25am PST

Meanwhile Willow Shields – who play Katniss's younger sister Primrose Everdeen – tweeted her arrival on October 31st:

Wednesday's premiere at Cinestar Potdamer Platz is set to begin at 7:30pm.

By Hannah Butler

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FILM

French films with English subtitles to watch in November

As days get shorter and temperatures drop, November is a great month to enjoy a warm and comforting moment at the cinema. Here’s a round up of the French movies with English subtitles to see in Paris this month.

Cinema in France
Photo: Loic Venance/AFP

The cinema group Lost in Frenchlation runs regular screenings of French films in the capital, with English subtitles to help non-native speakers follow the action. The club kicks off every screening with drinks at the cinema’s bar one hour before the movie, so it’s also a fun way to meet people if you’re new to Paris.

These are the events they have coming up in November.

Friday, November 5th

Boîte Noire – What happened on board the Dubai-Paris flight before it crashed in the Alps? In this thriller Matthieu, a young and talented black box analyst played by Pierre Niney (star of Yves Saint-Laurent among other movies) is determined to solve the reason behind this deadly crash, no matter the costs. 

The screening will take place at the Club de l’étoile cinema at 8pm. But you can arrive early for drinks at the bar from 7pm. 

Tickets are €10 full price, €8 for students and all other concessions, and can be reserved here.

Sunday, November 14th

Tralala – In the mood for music? This new delightful French musical brings you into the life of Tralala (played by Mathieu Amalric), a 48 years old, homeless and worn-out street singer, who one day gets mistaken for someone else. Tralala sees an opportunity to get a better life by taking on a new personality. He now has a brother, nephews, ex-girlfriends, and maybe even a daughter. But where is the lie? Where is the truth? And who is he, deep down?

The night will start with drinks from 6pm followed by the screening at 7pm at the Luminor Hôtel de Ville cinema. There is also a two-hour cinema-themed walk where you’ll be taken on a “musicals movie tour” in the heart of Paris, which begins at 4pm.

Tickets cost €10, or €8 for students and concessions, and can be found here. Tickets for the walking tour cost €20 and must be reserved online here.

Thursday, November 18th

Illusions Perdues – Based on the great novel series by Honoré de Balzac between 1837 and 1843, this historical drama captures the writer Lucien’s life and dilemmas who dreams about a great career of writing and moves to the city to get a job at a newspaper. As a young poet entering the field of journalism, he is constantly challenged by his desire to write dramatic and eye-catching stories for the press. But are they all true?

The evening will kick off with drinks at L’Entrepôt cinema bar at 7pm, followed by the movie screening at 8pm. Tickets are available online here, and cost €8.50 full price; €7 for students and all other concessions.

Sunday, November 21st

Eiffel – Having just finished working on the Statue of Liberty, Gustave Eiffel (played by Romain Duris) is tasked with creating a spectacular monument for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris. It’s ultimately his love story with Adrienne Bourgès (Emma Mackey) that will inspire him to come up with the idea for the Eiffel Tower.

After a first screening last month, Lost in Frenchlation is organising a new one at the Luminor Hôtel de Ville cinema, with pre-screening drinks at the cinema bar. 

Tickets cost €10, or €8 for students and concessions, and can be found here

Thursday, November 25th

Les Héroïques – Michel is a former junkie and overgrown child who only dreams of motorbikes and of hanging out with his 17-year-old son Léo and his friends. But at 50 years old, he now has to handle the baby he just had with his ex, and try not to make the same mistakes he has done in the past. 

The film will be followed by a Q&A with the director Maxime Roy who will discuss his very first feature. 

Tickets cost €10, or €8 for students and concessions, and can be found here.

Full details of Lost in Frenchlation’s events can be found on their website or Facebook page. In France, a health pass is required in order to go to the cinema.

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