Some say style is a matter of posture and posture a sign of all sorts of preconceptions –a bit like shoes. Forget it. Here is an establishment that will inspire you to unfold your spine what ever your background, it is the drinking hall of ballerinas: the Würgeengel – which is German for “your life is not complete until you have see this film by Bruñel” which is English for “El ángel exterminador”. Here you can quite happily enjoy your own company or else meet with a friend or two – and five at the most –, enjoy a good glass of wine and delight in the dark-red velvet interior and the handsomely well-groomed bar staff, flaunting serving skills long since perfected. The atmosphere is electric, time seeps away unnoticed as the people of the night fill the long, dimly lit room. And many hours after the thought of moving on has arisen, you will find yourself still hovering by the door, postponing your goodbyes, locked in excuses and unable to leave, for this bar uncannily lives up to its name. Which is a bummer if you fancy a Radler, cos the hot waiters gently refuse to serve beer cocktails. Snobbery? Surely not.

Würgeengel, Dresdner Str. 122, Kreuzberg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_ángel_exterminador

Berlin is actually one of the cheapest capitals in Europe. Without being rich or having a stable income you still have the possibility to find a nice flat in the center of the town and participate in the cultural life. There are a lot of places and events, where no entrance fee is demanded. Many buildings and monuments can be entered for free, for example the Friedrichwerdersche Kirche , the Reichstag , on mondays the museum Deutsche Guggenheim or the Holocaust-Monument close to the Avenue „Unter den Linden“ and the Brandenburg Gate .
In the evenings you can walk around and find spontaneous concerts on the sidewalks or in the Berlins huge public parks. Especially on friday evenings many gallery openings in Berlin Mitte take place, these are accessible to everyone . Residents and tourists are guided on special days through government departments, memorials, historical monuments, universities and other buildings, which are normally not opened to the public: Tag des offenen Denkmals, Einladung zum Staatsbesuch, Festival of Lights, Tag der offenen Tür…
Mainly during the summertime innumerable festivals and parties on the street are organised.

This unpretentious and easygoing lifestyle is also one of the reasons that many artists are attracted to Berlin, see Reuters-article „Artists flock to cheap Berlin from around the world“.

Queen Luise from Prussia and Princess Friederike in the Friedrichwerdersche Kirche, source: flickr

Datas and facts concerning „cheap Berlin“ as well as an interview with a scottish writer, living many years in Berlin, are coming soon.

about Berlin, films about Germany: funny, serious, boring and outstanding.  A subjective selection:

• Alles auf Zucker, Regie: Dani Levy, 2004
• Gegen die Wand, Regie: Fatih Akin, 2004
• Texas – Doc Snyder hält die Welt in Atem, Regie: Helge Schneider, 1993
• Heidi M., Regie: Michael Klier, 2001
• Keinohrhasen, Regie: Til Schweiger, 2007
• Good Bye, Lenin!, Regie: Wolfgang Becker, 2003
• Der Himmel über Berlin, Regie: Wim Wenders, 1987 and its sequel: In weiter Ferne, so nah!, Regie: Wim Wenders, 1993
• Das Leben der Anderen, Regie: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2006
• Theo gegen den Rest der Welt, Regie: Peter F. Bringmann, 1980
• Sommer vorm Balkon, Regie: Andreas Dresen, 2006
• Der bewegte Mann, Sönke Wortmann, 1994
• Das Leben ist eine Baustelle, Regie: Wolfgang Becker, 1997
• Pappa ante portas, Loriot, 1991

All about German films: www.filmportal.de

The most popular German crime series is “Tatort”, every Sunday, ARD 20.15pm