Berlin film festival opens with Chinese family movie

The 60th Berlin Film Festival kicked off Thursday with shining stars and directors in a snowy and cold evening.

Chinese director, Wang Quan'an led the opening night celebration with his new film "Tuan Yuan," or "Apart Together," telling the story of a retired soldier, who was separated from his love for decades after going to Taiwan, returning home to find his love, who has long since married.

As 2010 is the 20th anniversary of Germany's reunification, the film is "very symbolic (to us), and we really liked it," said Festival Director Dieter Kosslick. "Family is one of the main themes this year."

Another well-known Chinese director, Zhang Yimou is to come back again with his new film "San Qiang Pai An Jing Qi" or "A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop" in the main competition.

In 1988, Zhang won the first Golden Bear for Chinese moviemakers with his directorial debut "Red Sorghum," which would be replayed in the festival's Retrospective Series "Play It Again. "

Ten Chinese-language films takes part in the festival, two of which runs for the Golden Bear on February 21st, 2010.

"The Ghostwriter," directed by controversial Oscar winner Roman Polanski, also takes part in main competition section, based on Robert Harris' novel, with the tale of a writer who is hired to pen the personal memoirs of a former British Prime minister, Pierce Brosnan and find something unbelievable.

Polanski is on house arrest in Switzerland pending extradition to the United States for a 1977 "unlawful sex" charge.

All together about 400 films will be presented from February 11th t 21st.

Source: Xinhua