More than 400 guests from the cultural world, politics and business celebrated Villa Aurora Night on November 14th at Tempelhof Airport in Berlin.

Right out front the party the legendary „Rosinenbomber“ (Candy Bomber) reminded the attendees of the close relationship between the Unites States and Germany, alive and well at Villa Aurora through its cultural and artistic fellowship program.

U.S. ambassador Philip D. Murphy paid tribute to the work done by Villa Aurora: “In my opinion, artists are in unique positions to help people to listen and learn and share. And so, I would like to thank the Villa Aurora Forum and its supporters for the opportunities it provides to young German artists to do just that. (…) Thank you for the contributions you have already made to the German-American partnership. I am sure the best is yet to come.” (Read more)

Dr. Ingeborg Berggreen-Merkel, representing the Federal Commissioner for Culture and Media gave a special mention to the film fellows, whose films have been attracting international attention.

Former Secretary for Culture and founding member of Villa Aurora, Dr. Michael Naumann, traced the arc from the opening of the artists’ residence to today, and reminded the guests of Feuchtwanger and other exiled writers, who found a new home in the USA.

Around 50 fellows, spanning from 2011 to 2013, were represented with a selection of their work in a video documentation. Filmmaker Dietrich Brüggemann, whose film „3 Zimmer, Küche, Bad“ premiered in German movie theaters in October accompanied the silent slapstick „Une partie d’auto“ on the piano. Hamburg-based composer Michael Maierhof premiered his work splitting 36.4 for grand piano, sonic motor, vibrating systems and additional sounds, not playing the keys, but the strings inside the body of the instrument.

DJ Christine Lang managed the rest of the night spinning dance music.

Once again Airport Tempelhof, home for Villa Aurora Night 2012, proved to be another mile stone for ongoing and active transatlantic relations.