MY name is Rhiner and at 22 years of age. I was named after the River Rhine which is the largest river here in Germany. I would like to tell you what is happening here for the remaining few days when we all welcome the new year of 2008. Right now art enthusiasts in our country are creating the biggest ever film archive in Germany to house all existing films from 1895 to the present. After all, we boast of a robust film industry and our country is often used by Hollywood productions as movie sets. That’s why we take extra precaution in securing movie sets because we have lots of stars coming in our country every year. Currently, Tom Cruise is in our country to wrap up production of his upcoming movie where he plays a German colonel in World War II. The movie is called Valkyrie. There was one other movie which was released recently where everything was filmed here. It was again a World War II movie starring George Clooney called The Good German. Our most prolific movie director here who has crossed over into Hollywood and since then has made numerous acclaimed thrillers for the past decade or so is Wolfgang Petersen. Some of his Hollywood blockbusters are In the Line of Fire, Air Force One, Troy, The Perfect Storm and Poseidon. Here in Germany, we all love him for his World War II movie Das Boot which was released in 1981. That was a long time ago but we still admire him for that because it catapulted Wolfgang to Hollywood fame. It is with these inspirations that Germany has come up with an idea of a very comprehensive film archive to be launched by the end of this year.

Germany’s first film traces back to the 1895 movie Serpitenen Tanz which was produced by Max Skladanowsky. The film archive to be opened is located in Berlin by the way. According to German film enthusiasts, they expect that most of their foreign visitors in the film archive are Japanese because they are interested in German World War II movies since the Germans and Japanese are collaborators in that war.

So if you are a Japanese visiting Germany this Christmas season, it is an opportune time to learn the culture in this predominantly Catholic country. Do not be lost in translation and do not be intimidated that you are in a Babel-like world. The Roman alphabet is easy to learn anyway so make the most of your vacation here by studying this alphabet. After that, you and your Japanese compatriots can study perhaps a little German by learning from your co-film enthusiasts who are German. Who knows, you may be invited to the homes of your hosts and learn a few traditions here that are foreign in Japan. For a change, you will sit in high chairs as compared to merely squatting at the dining table during dinner time.