Tea Time
by Mary Nyiri
A refreshing addition to the Hamburg Filmfest this year was a Tea Lounge at the Grindel Theater for accredited festival folks. Complimentary hot tea was provided by Samova GmbH & Company KG (http://www.samova.net) with a selection of different teas each day. Tea was served in their signature modern, stylish 3mm-thick glasses. Unusual and delicious, I found myself going back for a third glass of Scuba Garden, a green tea with rooibos and cranberry. But the excitement wasn’t just the tea. The lounge was often bustling with actors, directors, producers and other film industry notables. Several actors from Die Nachrichten were lapping up champagne after their red carpet entrance into the Grindel before the premiere of their film on Friday night. Many envious fans snapped pictures from the entrance hall above, later rushing to get autographs as the actors made their way into the theater. On another occasion, Phillip Bergson, the famous British film critic and host of the Hyatt Talks, was seen sipping champagne with a director. Kathrin Kohlstedde, elegant in her dark suit, was spotted in the crowd along with Christiane Hölscher. Clearly a great place to meet, greet, drink, and be seen!
Jenny Mather adds: great idea that it was, it was also the smokers’ corner, which meant we “enjoyed” second-hand smoke with our tea.
