There’s nothing quite as glamourous as an A-list film festival in your own back yard. The lights, the red carpets, a dizzying array of cutting-edge cinema from around the world and, of course, the stars all make our beloved Berlinale something to be excited about. Unfortunately, this exhibition doesn’t do much to make you feel starstruck. On since late September, the moderately-sized history lesson greets you with large-scale portraits of some illustrious superstars – from Kate Winslet to Nick Cave – before you notice that the exhibition exists mostly of smaller prints, many by Berlin press photographer Mario Mach (1923–2012). These are set against grey walls, the starkness of which doesn’t contribute much to the glitzy subject. Two floors showing a somewhat impressive array of people on red carpets or at parties attempt to illustrate how important the Berlinale is – the always gorgeous Sophia Loren stares mesmerizingly into the camera in one, the always beleaguered Roman Polanski seems to be rushing to the next screening in another – but the cumulative effect is forgettable, even if the photos themselves are great.
Through May 5
