The circus show begins as actress Jessica Schwarz steps out of the Insignia. It is one of the finer moments of show business – loud, entertaining, and with a touch of glamour. The autograph hunters, who have in the meantime mutated into selfie hunters, shriek and fumble with their smartphones. The bodyguards glower into the crowd. The photographers and TV crews adjust their lenses. “Jessica! Jessica! Over here!” “Make a duck face for me!” “Can you give us a comment?”
Jessica Schwarz on the red carpet at the premiere of the film ‘Der Koch,’ presented by Opel at the Munich Film Festival at the Gasteig cultural center.
The star of the evening, dressed in a sleek, elegant cocktail dress and platform sandals, commands the red carpet. Schwarz smiles as she greets and charms everyone with a perfectly executed look over her shoulder at the entrance of the movie theater. Suddenly, the 37-year-old stops. Next to her are two Opel vehicles: the ADAM in camouflage look designed by musician and photographer Bryan Adams and the new ADAM Rocks. Both cars with the lightning bolt logo are part of the show. Schwarz lets the professional celebrity photographers guide her into position for a nice shot with the city speedsters.
SHUTTLE WITH INSIGNIA FLEET AND ANTIQUE CARS
This scene took place in Munich, here at the renowned Gasteig cultural center located in Haidhausen district near the city center. The organizers of the Munich International Film Festival (27 June to 5 July) rolled out the red carpet. This year, Opel was mobility partner of the 32nd edition of the festival, providing an Insignia fleet and a selection of Opel Classic antique cars including a Kapitän and a Rekord to bring VIP guests to the event. And Opel was also there to present the exclusive gala premiere of ‘Der Koch,’ the film version of the successful novel of the same name by author Martin Suter, starring Jessica Schwarz.
Scene from ‘Der Koch’: Maravan (Hamza Jeetooa) seduces Andrea (Jessica Schwarz).
‘Der Koch’ is one of the most outstanding productions featured in the film festival. Andrea (Jessica Schwarz) is a waitress who convinces Maravan (Hamza Jeetooa), a passionate cook, to dedicate his passion to cooking against all odds, but above all to strive toward his goal and, in doing so, to rise above himself. “You can surprise not only others, but also yourself. It was a story about overcoming your own prejudices within a socially fascinating context,” said Andreas Marx, Marketing Director at Opel Germany, after the premiere.
Isabelle Huppert, the grand dame of French cinema, arrived in an Insignia and posed in front of both ADAM vehicles.
As Marx sees it, the story of the film fits perfectly to Opel’s brand campaign ‘Umparken I’m Kopf.’ “It shows that in the movies, just like in real life, you always have to look behind the scenes in order to discover new facets – in people as well as in cars.” With the cinematic partnership, Opel underscores the positive image transformation and does away with existing prejudices.
DIETER MOOR HAS A CHILDHOOD CAR TRAUMA
The international film festival was another opportunity to experience the brand and the models in real life. But not only for Schwarz. Dieter Moor, TV show host, eco-farmer, and festival jury member, gazes at the Opel classics while revealing his childhood car trauma: “My father was a die-hard Volkswagen devotee, but as a boy I really liked our neighbor’s Admiral A. The chassis design, the full-length bench seat, it was just terrific.” Moor was unable to convince his father to go with the brand with the lightning bolt, and so “I had to put up with those cars from Wolfsburg,” he recalls with a laugh. “I’m happy now that Opel makes great cars again.”
Enjoying the limelight: Dieter Moor, TV show host, eco-farmer, and festival jury member.
Both international stars Isabelle Huppert and Udo Kier drove up to the red carpet in an Opel. The grand dame of French cinema, who was presented an award for lifetime cinematic achievement in Munich, was impressed by the “comfortable interior.” And Kier, the enfant terrible of the silver screen, confided on the sidelines of Michelin-star chef Alfons Schuhbeck’s gala dinner that he had “a bit of a crush on the ADAM.” “It is a dream car for individualists,” said Kier. “If I could show off with it at home in Palm Springs in front of my friends and neighbors, they would go green with envy. You should give me an ADAM in California.”
Whether Kier’s wish will come true remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Opel and the red carpet go great together – with the stars and the brand.
The festival has been taking place every year at the end of June in Munich since 1983. It is Germany’s most important summer film festival and attracts around 70,000 visitors. This year, 158 new films were featured.
Opel was mobility partner of the international festival for the first time. At the festival center, the ‘re-parking zone’ was the meeting point for accredited industry visitors and media representatives. The ‘re-park shuttle’ also attracted a fair share of attention with an Insignia fleet and Opel Classic antique cars.