I suppose this is a Babylon Berlin blog now.

news and behind-the-scenes bits and bobs.

[theseformerthings]

Volker Bruch and Liv Lisa Fries take the lead in the fifth and final season of German period drama Babylon Berlin, which has now completed filming and is heading into post-production. Among the last scenes shot in November was the iconic 1933 press ball, the last big social event in Berlin before the Nazis took power, which included hundreds of extras in full period dress.

Set during the German Weimar Republic, spanning from Berlin's roaring 1920s to the dawn of the Third Reich, Babylon Berlin has developed a distinctive blend of character-driven storytelling, outstanding production value and 1920s style and music since it first debuted in 2017.

Now against the backdrop of Adolf Hitler's appointment as Chancellor, S5 focuses once again focuses on Berlin police detective duo Gereon Rath (Bruch) and Charlotte Ritter (Fries). While Gereon disappears without explanation, Charlotte investigates a series of murders targeting former front-line soldiers, a case that gradually links back to Gereon's past and to the country's new political leadership.

“We now end with the final season during the last days of this crumbling republic, in February 1933, perhaps the most dramatic month in German history,” said series co-creators Tom Tykwer, Henk Handloegten, and Achim von Borries. “All our characters are now finally called upon to show their true colors in a system that is being turned upside down before their eyes. They fight, dance, implore, betray, sing, scream, hate, and love as if there was no tomorrow. And the series finds its most dazzling moments in its darkest hour.”

https://dramaquarterly.com/babylon-berlin-sets-stage-for-final-season/

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/babylon-berlin-wraps-shoot-fifth-and-final-season-1236438193/

[theseformerthings]

A treat from a shoot last April: a video with a Gereon in a train (again) - this time an elegant one. Traveling cross country or even over a border or two, perhaps? Included is an interview with Achim von Borries, who's directing the episode we get a peek of here. Another highlight: looks like Hitler is going to make an onscreen appearance this season.

https://www1.wdr.de/nachrichten/ruhrgebiet/babylon-berlin-dreharbeiten-bochum-100.html

[theseformerthings]

The Nazi Clouds Descend on ‘Babylon Berlin’ Season 5 (Exclusive First Image)

Volker Bruch and Liv Lisa Fries reunite for the final season in the epic German period drama series, set in the weeks before Hitler takes ab

Tom Tykwer, Henk Handloegten & Achim von Borries share their thoughts on the final season: “Babylon Berlin V will be phenomenal. We are working non-stop to make the new season as spectacular as possible in terms of the look, locations and one of the most integral parts of the series: the music. Nightclubs, Carnival and the changes throughout society are the base for a soundtrack that will set the new season apart. We put a magnifying glass on the five weeks at the beginning of 1933, which will turn the country upside down and find an ending the series and, most importantly, its fans deserve.”

[theseformerthings]

Season 5 behind-the-scenes filming!

As filming for the fifth and final season is now underway, a few articles and images have surfaced this week that offer a taste of *what* is being filmed: a demonstration led by SPD chairman and outspoken critic of Hitler Otto Wels (https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/otto-wels). Click the link below for an English translation of the first article.

Hakenkreuz-Plakate kleben am Berliner Dom. Was hier los ist? Es sind die Dreharbeiten für die neue Staffel von „Babylon Berlin“.

For the second article, from the Nov 13 edition of Berliner Morgenpost (someone posted this to a major Babylon Berlin Facebook group), I’ve translated it (with a little help from DeepL):

What are swastikas doing at Berlin Cathedral? Lots of onlookers at new filming for Babylon Berlin

by Dirk Krampitz

Signs with swastikas are raised to the left and right of the cathedral. On them, a large “Yes” and the words “With Adolf Hitler for equality and peace.” The demonstrators on the steps of the cathedral wave red SPD posters in the air and chant “We are the Social Democrats! Berlin, Berlin, Berlin remains red!” The old-fashioned water cannon parked in front of the e-scooters indicates that the scene is about to escalate. What looks like a ghostly vision from another time is actually filming for Babylon Berlin, which took place in front of the Berlin Cathedral on Tuesday morning. The fifth and final season of Babylon Berlin has been filming since October. The action takes place in February 1933 - at the time when the National Socialists came to power.

This time, ARD is working on the hit series Babylon Berlin without its former partner, Sky Deutschland. The trio of directors and writers from the previous seasons - Henk Handloegten, Achim von Borries and Tom Tykwer - are back. ARD Degeto Film, X Filme Creative Pool, SWR, WDR, Radio Bremen and Beta Film are producing.

The final season is based on the novel March Fallen by Volker Kutscher. The story takes place during the time of the transfer of power to the National Socialists. Leading roles will once again be played by Volker Bruch as Gereon Rath and Liv Lisa Fries as Charlotte Ritter.

Filming is hardly ever announced because the film crews want to work undisturbed by onlookers. However, this can’t be completely avoided at the Lustgarten at lunchtime. Tourists, school classes and passers-by stand still, watching how the extras jump up and down to keep warm during the breaks in filming. Or how the hose from the artificial fog machine bounces uncontrollably on the asphalt when a gust of wind comes. The onlookers take photos and selfies. A group of Dutch boys ride past on rental bikes. One of them shouts “Kijk, daar is een swastika (“Look, there’s a swastika”)!” and points to the swastika poster. When the director calls out “Quiet, we're shooting!” and he rallies the demonstrators with the “Berlin stays red” slogan, all the onlookers are quiet.

[starkiller-009]

[theseformerthings]

FYI, American and Canadian Amazon users: seasons 1 - 4 of Babylon Berlin are on MHz Choice, and you can sign up for a 2-month trial for $.99/month through the Amazon Video app (like below) until July 17! Act now fast! 🍸

[theseformerthings]

Case closed: “Babylon Berlin V” starts shooting in fall

Case closed: “Babylon Berlin V” starts shooting in fall

[theseformerthings]

Babylon Berlin gets a new home in the US after Netflix unceremoniously dropped it on Feb 28 and Season 4 will stream in America, finally!! Premieres June 25. By the way, MHz Choice has been around for a while and offer a wide selection of international tv (including Tatort, Germany’s longest running crime show by a million miles).

MHz Choice, Topic to Merge, Creating International TV Streamer for North America

The new streamer, operating under the MHz brand, will be the exclusive domestic home for hit German series 'Babylon Berlin.'

[slavicafire]

charlotte ritter. the woman of all times

[carolgpr]

I had a lot of fun working on this commission for @thecatstolemypen This illustration is based on the character Malu Seegers from Babylon Berlin. And I hope you guys consider watching this series if you like period content.

[theseformerthings]

It’s been a while, but 1) season 5 is still happening, bbs; 2) it will be the FINAL season.

In a new interview with Deadline set to run tomorrow, the show’s lead actress Liv Lisa Fries confirmed that the plan is to shoot the “last” series of the show later this year:

“At the end of this year we’re going to shoot the last season of Babylon Berlin. It’s still in financial process but they’re writing. Money is a question mark but my schedule is to shoot it later this year.”

‘Babylon Berlin’ Star Gives Update On Series Five After Sky Exit

Sky Deutschland may be out on the hit series but the creators and actors are gearing up on the fifth season.

[theseformerthings]

Babies, it’s on.

[theseformerthings]

ATTN: the brilliant, supremely cool, all-around-lovely-person Tracey Thorn (best known as one-half of the duo Everything But The Girl)* is a Babylon Berlin fan and a Gereon and Charlotte shipper. This warms my heart!

*She’s also a highly acclaimed writer. Her memoir Bedsit Disco Queen: How I Grew Up and Tried to Be a Pop Star is great. Her latest, My Rock n’ Roll Friend — which focuses on her experiences in a male-dominated music scene — is also very, very good.

[weimarweekly]

I always meant to make a playlist featuring this:

[theseformerthings]

I took Dance Composition I as an undergrad and this was the song my Brazilian dance partner and I chose to choreograph, then perform together as a duo for a final assignment. She was a Madonna devotee and we nabbed most of the moves from the music video for “Express Yourself” — e.g., Madge crawling towards the bowl of milk like a cat, except we were crawling towards each other, then suddenly away. It was very emotional.

[theseformerthings]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Schein Berlin (@scheinberlin)

Label for the box of gloves that Malu Seegers gets as a gift from Wendt.

Production Designer: Uli Hanisch Prop Master: Alexander Lambriev Property Assistants: Saskia Tegethoff & Tino Knoch Graphic Props: Schein Berlin (Daniel Porsdorf & Jan Hülpüsch, Lina Stindt, Lea Gabler)

[rookieangel]

CHARLOTTE RITTER and GEREON RATH in BABYLON BERLIN Season 4 Finale

[theseformerthings]

— @christian_friedel_official (Gräf on Babylon Berlin), 31.12.22

“The new season of @babylonberlinseries started on @skydeutschland and will be on Free TV in Spring. Another season is a must, right?”

[theseformerthings]