Opening of RUHR.2010 - Ceremony
Zollverein fireworks / Photo: Essen Marketing
GmbH/Peter Wieler
The monumental and historic background provided by the Zollverein coking plant forms the spectacular, symbolic setting for the opening ceremony of the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010.
Together with the President of the Federal Republic, high-ranking representatives of the European Union, the Minister-President of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, leading representatives of the Ruhr cities and special guests from Pécs and Istanbul, several hundred citizens from the cities involved will all be in the grandstand facing the battery of coke ovens.
Folkwang Professor and film director Gil Mehmert has prepared a journey through time for the invited audience of 1,200, telling a story with a backdrop of film images of the change undergone by the Ruhr region - from its former glories as an industrial conurbation with 1,000 fires in the furnaces to a European metropolis offering diversity, culture and creativity. It will be an unusual ceremony to herald a European Capital of Culture; for the first time in history and on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of this honorary European title, it will unite 53 cities into a single cultural metropolis: RUHR.2010.
The event will be broadcast live by ZDF.
TV listing: Saturday, Janurary 9, 2010, 15:30, live.
The regional broadcaster WDR-Fernsehen will then take over live transmission as part of its afternoon programme. Broadcaster "Deutsche Welle" will be relaying the TV broadcast abroad.
Production: Morpho Film
Concept: Büro CP Hamburg, Gil Mehmert, RUHR.2010
Artistic direction: Gil Mehmert
A RUHR.2010 production at the Zollverein coking plant, in cooperation with ZDF.
Related topics:
Opening of RUHR.2010 - The Prologue
Opening of RUHR.2010 - Cultural Festival