Ayobami Ajewole

Syrian migrant drama opens Berlin film festival

"The Light", not screening as part of the Berlinale's main competition, tells the story of a middle-class Berlin family whose lives are upended when they hire a new domestic worker. The movie marks a return to feature filmmaking after a long hiatus for Tykwer, 59, who has been focusing on the acclaimed Netflix series "Babylon Berlin". The Berlinale, as the festival is known, winds up on February 23 -- the same day as Germany's snap election, called after the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's ruling coalition late last year. With the far-right, anti-immigration AfD party surging in the polls, migration has been high on the campaign agenda in the run-up to the hotly contested vote. The Berlinale, which ranks with Cannes and Venice among Europe's top festivals, serves as a key launchpad for films from around the world.