Filmfestival programmers don’t like to be talked into their film selection – especially when once again, as in Braunschweig, more than 250 films are being shown. However, when a world star like Mario Adorf – who will receive the EUROPA this year – comes, then the person to be honoured may wish for something special, and in his case it was agreeing about the film series accompanying him. Seen in this way, we shall be showing the very best of his life's work – this is how an actor will be shown acting and allows us to participate in his favourite films. Additionally, we shall, in so doing, be immersing ourselves once again in the peak phase of the New German Cinema from the beginning of the 70s, without forgetting that it was a returning German Hollywood director who first brought about Adorf's breakthrough onto the big screen. Robert Siodmak casted Adorf in his 1957 film drama NACHTS, WENN DER TEUFEL KAM (THE DEVIL STRIKES AT MIDNIGHT). After years in Rome, he was discovered in Germany by the young and wild filmmakers such as Roland Klick (DEADLOCK), Volker Schlöndorff (DIE VERLORENE EHRE DER KATHARINA BLUM, DIE BLECHTROMMEL) and Rainer Werner Fassbinder (LOLA). Then came Helmut Dietl (KIR ROYAL) and the one sentence with which Adorf wrote film and television history. Benvenuto, Mario Adorf, and: Hats off!