Berlin According to Canadian Documentary Producer Ed Barreveld

Etan Vlessing
·3 min read
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Ed Barreveld, an European Film Market (EFM) veteran, is returning to Berlin via his Storyline Entertainment banner, having sold its feature documentaries to CBC, PBS, Discovery, NatGeo, Sky UK, ZDF and ARTE, among others.

With 35 years of experience in the doc space, Barreveld specializes in combining Canadian and international storytellers, financiers and distributors on factual features that explore hidden places and issues in society and culture.

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His award-winning producer credits include Angad Bhalla’s Herman’s House, about Herman Wallace, a prisoner in a solitary cell in Louisiana’s “Angola” prison where he draws his dream house; Nisha Pahuja’s The World Before Her, about women competing in the Miss India pageant; and Min Sook-Lee’s Tiger Spirit, which captures a family reunion across the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

Before touching down in Berlin, Barreveld told The Hollywood Reporter about what he’s looking forward to, and aiming to avoid, at the EFM.

What’s your state of mind heading into the European Film Market?  
I’m still puzzled by the fact that there are no direct flights from Toronto to Berlin! What gives?  I’m going to EFM with some recently finished films and several new films in development, so I’m excited and optimistic to see how the market will react.

What’s your favorite, only-in-Berlin moment from festivals/markets past?
Last year after a little time away from EFM, I walked around the Brandenburg Gate where there was a loud anti-Russia protest going on.  When I turned the corner, oblivious to what was going on, an old street vendor was cheerfully selling Ushanka hats with a Soviet cockade. I could not resist and bought one for my wife (though she’s never worn it!).

What’s something every visitor to Berlin should see?
I’m a bit of a history buff. Berlin is walkable and loaded with so much history — some of it very recent — that it’s hard to pick anything specific. I like walking from Potsdamer Platz to the Brandenburg Gate, still impressive. And on the way you’ll pass the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and you can make a side trip through the Tiergarten,  the Soviet War Memorial, the Memorial for Murdered Sinta and Roma and cap it off with some souvenir shopping and a beverage in Unter der Linden — if you walk far enough on Berlin’s famous boulevard, you’ll get a good look at Berlin’s iconic TV tower.

Strategy for staying warm in chilly Berlin? 
I’m a Canadian boy. So a February visit to Berlin doesn’t faze me. But nevertheless it’s prudent to bring a warm coat, hat and gloves. And don’t forget to bring an umbrella!

Strategy for avoiding the dreaded “festival flu”? 
You’re meeting so many people every day that, post pandemic, I’ve replaced La bise with a hearty hug. Of course, for first-time greetings, a handshake is still acceptable and a bottle of echinacea  and vitamin C won’t hurt either!

Favorite Berlin restaurant or bar? 
Indian Street Food (Schöneberger Str. 22) for awesome takeout; the Posh Bar makes a very nice cocktail.

Place to avoid during the festival/market? 
I’ve yet to find such a place.

Best place to get away from the fest frenzy? 
I can really recommend going to the Tiergarten, a large park, which considering it is right in the heart of the city, is quiet and peaceful this time of year. I imagine that when the weather is better, it’ll be a different story. Of course today the Tiergarten is statues, but in olden days was a real hunting ground for Berlin’s elite, with deer and wild animals. When I need to get away from people and pitching, or just need to catch up on work at home, my Airbnb is the go-to place.

Best celebrity encounter in Berlin?
Alas, none.

One thing you won’t travel without, besides your phone?   
My soundbar and a bottle of aspirin.

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