“All Quiet On The Western Front”, directed by Villa Aurora Alumnus Edward Berger won an astounding four Oscars at the 95^th Academy Awards tonight. In addition to being recognized as Best International Feature, the film was acknowledged for Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design.

Villa Aurora was honored to celebrate the nine nominations for “All Quiet On the Western Front” on Saturday in the presence of German Minister for Culture and the Media Claudia Roth MdB. Director Edward Berger, together with Nele Müller-Stöfen, was filmmaker-in residence at Villa Aurora in 2015, a time which he describes as formative in his development and career as a filmmaker.

Now a highly renowned interdisciplinary artist residence, Villa Aurora was the exile home of writer Lion Feuchtwanger and his wife and collaborator Marta, as well as a center for German and European exiles in Los Angeles. Among the friends and guests of the Feuchtwangers was Erich Maria Remarque, author of the novel “All Quiet On The Western Front.”

We at Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House congratulate Edward Berger on this amazing success. We are immensely proud to have had the privilege of hosting Edward as a Villa Aurora Fellow and celebrate the impact of residency programs for the creative process.

For more impressions of the reception at Villa Aurora please visit our YouTube channel!