‘Welcome to Berlin’ Bringing Town Into International Spotlight

There are more than 100 towns and cities that bear the name “Berlin” across the globe, including more than 30 in the United States alone. Each has it’s own culture and hometown characteristic and Berlin, Conn., is no exception.

In fact, the character and small town feel right here in central Connecticut has brought a spotlight on the town as the community has been chosen as one of seven Berlin locations around the planet to be chosen as part of an international documentary.

“Public German television, ARD, is currently producing an intriguing film and also a trans-media project, entitled ‘Welcome to Berlin,’ which will be broadcast in Germany (New Year’s Day 2015) and rebroadcast internationally,” said Tanya Bandmann, producer and U.S. representative/scout for Berlin Producers, the company charged with production for the film.

“In our two-hour documentary film, we will visit seven of those Berlins throughout the world, starting in the capital of Germany,” she said.

Bandmann, who went to Berlin, Conn., for the first time Tuesday to begin scouting for the video, said she is excited to see the project come together. The story will involve a walk through “a day in Berlin,” starting with breakfast in Germany and alternating among seven towns in multiple countries.

During the film, residents will get an opportunity to speak to what makes the community unique, share their favorite parts of the community and discuss “why they are happy to call it home.” The footage will be shot between the end of January and end of March, Bandmann said.

It’s an opportunity that could put an International spotlight on the relatively quiet central Connecticut community and help the town thrive with its reputation as being “a classic small town,” local officials said.

“Those who have visited the German capital Berlin think they know Berlin,” the Berlin Producers website states. “However, Berlin is everywhere and often a different place to what one might expect.”

“This series will not only serve as a colorful travel and culture show, but a demonstration of how history and ancestry weaves us all together, making the world a little smaller than we thought it was.”

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