This documentary is EXCELLENT! Matt Frei weaves the history of Berlin seamlessly into a story that almost seems unbelievable at times. This documentary was one of the main reason for having Berlin Week, and although it's in XviD, the picture quality is excellent. But as always, we'll upgrade when we find the DVD. This is EXCELLENT!!!
From the Open University:
Berlin has seen everything from Nazi imperialism to the first gay mayor; it has been home to some of history’s most influential people including Bertholt Brecht, Marlene Dietrich and Einstein; and it’s a city that has been steeped in controversy and contradiction throughout the centuries. Co-produced by The Open University, Berlin is a new three-part documentary written and presented by award-winning, German-born, journalist Matt Frei, who unveils the turbulent and dramatic story of this city from the Prussian years right through to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Matt Frei, now Anchor of BBC World News America and host of ‘Americana’ on Radio Four, took up the post of the BBC’s Bonn Correspondent in Germany on the same day as the fall of the Berlin Wall, and revisits his own past in this series: “Making a film about a city I love, whose happiest milestone I was lucky enough to witness and where layers of history, good but mostly bad, have collided with consequences for the rest of the world is a gift for any journalist. To do it in both English and German was a first for me."
Drawing bold connections between events, characters, art and architecture from 200 years of turbulent history, the series – which is shot in English and German - reveals how the ideas, buildings and people of Berlin have become iconic symbols of our times. Travelling back and forth in time between the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, the 18th century Prussian years, Hitler’s Third Reich and Cold War Berlin, we discover a city of contrasts – divided and shaped by its own history.
Dr Sylvia Warnecke, an expert in the cultural policy of the former East Germany, is The Open University’s academic consultant to the series and was involved in underground democratic political movements in East Germany in the 1980s. Sylvia said: “Unlike many other European cities, Berlin’s identity has moved and shifted as history has unfolded, something that has been reflected in its cultural scene. In a sense, Berlin is braver because of its turbulent past, and there is a real sense of endeavour and innovation. The series gets to the essence of this unique city, and brings a fresh view to a place that many viewers will think that they already know.”
Part 1 Technical Information:
Show Title: Berlin
Episode: Part 1: Dangerous Ideas
Original Airdate: November 14, 2009
Director: Sam Hobkinson
Writer/Presenter: Matt Frei
Country: UK
Source: DVD Retail
Video Codec: XviD
Container: .avi
Size: 745 MB
Length: 0:58:26
Programs used: Unknown
Resolution: 704x400
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Video: MPEG4 @ ~2000 kb/s
Frame Rate: 25 fps
Audio: English- Dolby AC3 Stereo @ 192 kb/s
Subtitles: None
Part 1: Dangerous Ideas Megaupload Link
Part 2 Technical Information:
Show Title: Berlin
Episode: Part 2: Ruined Visions
Original Airdate: November 21, 2009
Director: Sam Hobkinson and David Vincent
Writer/Presenter: Matt Frei
Country: UK
Source: DVD Retail
Video Codec: XviD
Container: .avi
Size: 745 MB
Length: 0:59:00
Programs used: Unknown
Resolution: 704x400
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Video: MPEG4 @ ~2000 kb/s
Frame Rate: 25 fps
Audio: English- Dolby AC3 Stereo @ 192 kb/s
Subtitles: None
Part 2: Ruined Visions Megaupload Link
Part 3 Technical Information:
Show Title: Berlin
Episode: Part 3: Ich bin ein Berliner
Original Airdate: November 28, 2009
Director: Sam Hobkinson
Writer/Presenter: Matt Frei
Country: UK
Source: DVD Retail
Video Codec: XviD
Container: .avi
Size: 745 MB
Length: 0:58:55
Programs used: Unknown
Resolution: 704x400
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Video: MPEG4 @ ~2000 kb/s
Frame Rate: 25 fps
Audio: English- Dolby AC3 Stereo @ 192 kb/s
Subtitles: None
Part 3: Ich bin ein Berliner Megaupload Link
