E! News Host Patrick Stinson (voice-over in studio): "The 51^st annual Berlin Film Festival was the destination of the stars this year, and E! was there with this exclusive look at all the faces and fun…"

Rush (sitting at table with Kate and director Philip Kaufman): "When you're given a script, and on about page 25 you discover that you get to tongue kiss Kate Winslet…" (laughter from press corps)

Stinson: "Sexual repression may be one of themes in Quills, but in Berlin passion were unleashed when an excited Kate Winslet made a 'rush' for her costar." (Kate stands up, moves over to Rush, and kisses him.)

Rush: (looking, um, 'shell shocked', as Kate sits back down) "That was a festival 'freebie'."

February 15:

Celine has taken the time to translate and send me these items from European publications and TV news programs. Wasn't that nice?!

I've heard some strange questions asked of Kate, but this one 'takes the cake'! From the French TV Canal movie news program Feb 14 - Kate, Rush and Kaufman were shown posing for photos at the 'Quills' press conference in Berlin, and a clip of the film was shown:

The story of de Sade and his thirst for infringement attracted the director Philip Kaufman. 'Quills' comments upon the world of writing, the non-existence of God, the urgency of artistic creation and the rapture, which for the divine Marquis can only be conceived sexually.

Interviewer: 'Can acting be a constant erection?'

Kate Winslet: 'Acting for me is something that I absolutely love… um … And, yeah, you know, when… when it's really exciting and the acting is the best, it can be completely fantastic!'

Geoffrey Rush: 'It's never happened to me at all on stage. I've never felt that good. But it's not a bad analogy. On a good day, if you lose yourself in a creative play, it's as good as sex.'

Later in the program the Academy Award nominations were discussed: 'We'll cross our fingers for Quills and Geoffrey Rush who deserves an Oscar after Shine.'

From Tg2 News in Italy about 'Quills':

The pen of scandal, a hymn to freedom and infringement against all kinds of censorship. The title of the film is 'The Pen of Scandal,' 'Quills' in the USA, directed by Philip Kaufman. It aroused a lot of discussion. We have seen it in Berlin. The film tells the story of the Marquis de Sade. This theme was often dealt with by famous directors such as Pasolini and Bunuel. This de Sade is rich, greatly ironic. The film stars Geoffrey Rush, Michael Caine and Kate Winslet, who is a chambermaid captivated by the complex personality of de Sade. A role very far removed from 'Titanic', we asked Kate Winslet, now a young mother. 'That's right. I liked the research,' she admits. 'Playing this character was fascinating. Today de Sade is no longer a taboo but a discovery. The complex universe of the Marquis de Sade is revealed by the pleasure of the imagination. And this is no more forbidden now than it was a long time ago.'

Celine saw a German actress comment that Kate is a wonderful woman as well as a wonderful actress.

Tgl News on TV RAI in Italy had this item about 'Quills':

You remind her of 'Titanic' with DiCaprio. She is Kate Winslet, very far removed from her romantic character. Winslet is the literary accomplice of the Marquis de Sade in the film 'The Pen of Scandal' by Philip Kaufman. This latest contribution on celluloid has aroused a lot of controversy in the USA because of the controversial and censored person [de Sade]. 'The Pen of Scandal' is one of the surprises shown at the Berlin Film Festival. 'It's without any doubt,' says the beautiful Kate Winslet, 'one of the most difficult and funny movies that I have played in. To read de Sade today confirms the incredible modernism of an author who had discovered ahead of his time the irony of infringement.' The scandal performed by Geoffrey Rush and Michael Caine was defined by the American critics as funny, tender, intriguing, subversive, strange. 'Certainly more of an education, at least in this version, than a lot of the stories offered on screen today,' concludes the pretty actress. 'De Sade is a powerful, unconventional person who transcends time.'

Thanks so much, Celine!!

February 13:

Sir Anthony Hopkins and Kate Winslet representing the films 'Hannibal' and 'Quills' respectively, said 'Ich bin ein Berliner' for the last time, as the city's film festival closed at the weekend. Notable absences included Ridley Scott, who attended his mother's funeral on Saturday, and Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Julianne Moore and Johnny Depp, who all pleaded 'shooting commitments', which translates roughly as 'awful Teutonic winters do not tempt me away from my LA pool'. Kate Winslet received a career award, which seems a bit early in the day, and was accompanied by her husband, who is usually on babysitting duty.

The folks at Entertainment.iafrica.com have twisted some events at the festival in order to 'slam' Kate:

"DiCaprio, Winslet Nude Scenes Booed "

     Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio - stars of the highest grossing movie of all time "Titanic" - were received with much distaste at the 51st Berlin Film Festival.

     "Don’s Plum", a banned film in which DiCaprio appears nude, premiered over the weekend and was received by boos from the audience. DiCaprio was not around for the opening of the 1995 black-and-white film as he is involved in a court battle to block the release of the movie in the US.

     The scenario was similar for Winslet, since she appears nude in "Quills". The actress received whistles, a sign of mockery, from the German crowd. The mob's mood was aggravated by Winslet's eagerness to have her picture snapped and to sign autographs.

     After profuse apologies from the actress, the crowd forgave her, but were left in limbo at the post-screening party where Winslet partied with the VIP’s, leaving the rest of the guests waiting in vain for her to appear. Winslet plays a servant to the ageing Marquis de Sade in Philip Kaufman’s "Quills" and disrobes during several key scenes in the movie. "I hate nude scenes," she told a Berlin news conference. "It's a technical thing and has nothing to do with intimacy. I've seen so many gratuitous nude scenes in films and often walk out because of them. Usually the woman is nothing but an object. I didn't know much beforehand about the life of de Sade," she said. "But I wanted to make this film because it's important to portray something that is so historically significant." Winslet openly admits that she risked her career when she agreed to do this film. "It was a very risky film," she told interviewers. "But life's boring if you don't take risks."

February 12:

From a German publication:

"Kate Winslet Kisses Geoffrey Rush!"

'If you read on page 25 that you have a tongue kiss with Kate Winslet, then you take on the role,' confessed Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush at the press conference. One sees that [kiss] on screen during the Marquis de Sade film 'Quills'. We got to see the genuine tongue kiss at the 'Quills' press conference. Because de Sade portrayer and Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush had hardly expressed it [the above quote], when Kate Winslet, who was sitting beside him, jumped up and gave to her colleague a juicy tongue kiss. This was very much to the joy of the journalists, who welcomed this presentation with applause.

[Thanks to Juli for the above pic!]

Moritz translated this article from a German newspaper (thanks to Juli for the link). It consists of quotes supposedly made by Kate during interviews:

"Kate Winslet's Back - All Berliners take a friendly look at me"
     It's terrific for me to be in Berlin in the end. Last Tuesday I received the Golden Camera award, attended the 'Traffic' party at the Rive Gauche on Thursday, went to the Paris-Bar on Friday and yesterday evening my film 'Quills' premiered. Additionally, interviews all day long.
     Unfortunately, I couldn't do as much sightseeing in Berlin as I had hoped for. Partly, because I'm a mom now since four and a half months and wouldn't have traveled without my little daughter. Mia is a happy baby. My husband Jim and I take turns caring for her these days.
     The Berlinale is my first public appearance since birth. But my fans have seemingly not forgotten me. Especially in Berlin people would look at me joyfully. They still see me as Rose from 'Titanic' and naturally want to know who I am in real life now. I used to be just like that when I spotted a star on the street myself.
     Certainly, 'Titanic' will remain the most famous film in my career because it moved so many people. You'll rarely meet somebody who hasn't seen 'Titanic' yet.
     I heard Leonardo DiCaprio was at the Berlinale last year. Why, I would really enjoy us making another film together. We got along perfectly, have been good friends since.

From a German newspaper (thanks to Juli for the link):

'Titanic' star Kate Winslet arrived 40 minutes late for the performance of her new film 'Quills'. The public reacted with whistles."

'Titanic' star Kate Winslet annoyed the Berlinale public on Saturday evening. The spectators in the Berlinale palace at the Potsdamer workstation had to wait approximately 40 minutes for the beginning of Winslet's new film 'Quills-Power of the Obsession.' When the British actress entered the hall, there were numerous whistles from impatient spectators. After there had already been delays, the British actress still posed for photographers and gave autographs for the many fans on the red carpet in front of the cinema. Winslet charmingly apologized afterwards at the premiere to the public waiting in the hall. Winslet and leading actor Geoffrey Rush received much applause then, after the screening. 'Quills-Power of the Obsession' (directed by Philip Kaufman) tells the story of the Marquis de Sade. Winslet plays the maid of the pornographic writer. The 'Quills' party that followed in the master hall was completely crowded, where instead of 200, approximately 800 guests packed themselves. Winslet and numerous prominent people were shielded within a VIP area away from the remaining party guests. Actors Hannelore Elsner and Michael Gwisdek were among the actors celebrating.

From the Sydney Morning Herald:

     While Juliette Binoche was moaning softly about chocolate, Kate Winslet was moaning about how hard it is to moan for the camera. Yes, it's the Berlin Film Festival.
     Kate Winslet also had plenty to say during her press conference for Quills. Winslet said that she felt uncomfortable doing sex scenes - because they were awkward and left her exhausted. "Love scenes are very hard and they never get any easier," Winslet, 24, said. The British actress and Titanic star, features alongside Geoffrey Rush in the film about the final months in 1794 of the Marquis de Sade - the notorious French nobleman who gave the world the word "sadism". Winslet, who also said she was growing tired of media interest in her weight, spoke of her awkwardness in filming sex scenes. "I defy any actor to say it's easy because it's not," she said. "It took all day to film (one love scene in Quills) and we were all very exhausted." She said it was hard to be undressed in front of the cameras and crew. But at the end of the day, "you all end up laughing about it and having a good time".

     In Quills, Winslet plays a maid working in a mental asylum who is entranced by the asylum's most notorious inmate - the Marquis de Sade. De Sade's twisted world is marked by rape, menage a trois, gay undertones and betrayal.

     Rush, the Oscar winner for Shine, said deciding to make the film had been easy once he heard Winslet would be co-starring. "I was reading the screenplay and got to page 25 where it said I would get to tongue-kiss Kate Winslet," Rush said as his co-star laughed. "I said right then: 'Okay, I'll sign'." Without missing a beat, Winslet got up out of her chair at the news conference and moved down the table to where Rush was sitting and nearly knocked him to the ground with a deep kiss.

     Lucky bugger.

February 11:

AP correspondent Wolfgang Hubner reported on the Berlin Film Festival:

Much more exciting was the tragic/comedy about the Marquis de Sade running outside competition with the title: 'Quills-Power of the Obsession.' The film by Philip Kaufman shows grandiose acting performances from Australian Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush and from 'Titanic' star Kate Winslet. Both actors were present at Berlinale and gave the festival gloss without false glamour.

"Rush Scores Brosnan Dance and Winslet Kiss"

     BERLIN (Reuters) - Geoffrey Rush said on Sunday that kissing Kate Winslet in one film was a great experience but that nothing could beat the chance to dance with Pierce Brosnan. The Australian actor with two movies in the running for ''Golden Bear'' awards at the Berlin Film festival said on Sunday he hoped slow-dancing with Brosnan in a Panama gay bar was a move that would enhance his career.

     Rush, a contender for an Academy Award nomination for his strong performance as French nobleman Marquis de Sade in ''Quills,'' joked at a news conference on Saturday evening that he decided to accept the part when he found out he would get to have a romantic encounter with ''Titanic'' star Winslet. ''I was reading the screenplay and got to page 25 where it said I would get to tongue-kiss Kate Winslet,'' Rush said as his co-star laughed. ''I said right then, okay, I'll sign.'' Winslet got up out of her chair and moved down the table to where Rush - who has already won an Oscar in 1997 for his portrayal of an eccentric pianist in ''Shine'' - was sitting and nearly knocked him to the ground with a deep kiss.

     On Sunday, after the world premiere in Berlin of the film ''The Tailor of Panama'' Rush was asked why he agreed to the starring role alongside Brosnan, better known as James Bond. ''I was reading the screenplay and got to page 47, where it said I would get to dance with Pierce Brosnan,'' Rush deadpanned. ''And I thought my career is really on a roll now.''

From a Madrid newspaper:

Also, the protagonists and the director of 'Quills', the film based on the last years of the Marquis de Sade, was screened, starring Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet, Joaquin Phoenix and Michael Caine. Philip Kaufman said, 'A script so incredibly written as this one needed the best actors in the world, so I am proud to have been able to work with these four.'

February 10:

I would love to have been at this news conference (see last line of article)!

"Actress Kate Winslet Says Sex Scenes Tiring," By Erik Kirschbaum

     BERLIN (Reuters) - Actress Kate Winslet said on Saturday she feels uncomfortable doing sex scenes - because they are awkward and leave her exhausted. "Love scenes are very hard and they never get any easier,'' Winslet, 24, told reporters at the Berlin Film Festival, where she was promoting her latest film "Quills.'' The British actress and "Titanic'' star co-stars alongside Geoffrey Rush in the film about the final months in 1794 of the Marquis de Sade - the notorious French nobleman who gave the world the word "sadism." Winslet, who also said she was growing tired of media interest in her weight, spoke of her awkwardness in filming sex scenes. ''I defy any actor to say it's easy because it's not,'' she said. ''It took all day to film (one love scene in ''Quills'') and we were all very exhausted.'' She said it was hard to be undressed in front of the cameras and crew. But at the end of the day, ''you all end up laughing about it and having a good time.''

     Winslet said she didn't believe the enormous success of the 1997 film ''Titanic,'' in which she co-starred with Leonardo DiCaprio, had cast a shadow over her career. ''Titanic was never a burden,'' she said. ''I am amazed that I was involved in a movie of such epic proportions. It is wonderful to be in India, for example, in the foothills of the Himalayas, and to have an 80-year-old man come up to me and, through squinted eyes, say 'Titanic'.''

     Winslet's fluctuating weight has been the subject of intense and sometimes unflattering coverage in the British press. A onetime vocal opponent of diets, which she described as ''rubbish,'' she recently surprised many fans by announcing her intention to go on diet to lose weight gained in her pregnancy. ''About the weight - yes, it's really a bore,'' she said when asked about the media interest in her size.

     In ''Quills,'' Winslet plays a maid working in a mental asylum who is entranced by the asylum's most notorious inmate - the Marquis de Sade. De Sade's twisted world is marked by rape, menage a trois, gay undertones and betrayal. ''She was a girl who had grown up in the lunatic asylum and had spent every single day of her life working there and not really seeing the outside world, and yet she seemed to have so much fun among all this hell and disaster,'' Winslet said in an interview earlier with Reuters.

     Rush, the Oscar winner for ''Shine,'' said deciding to make the film had been easy once he heard Winslet would be co-starring. ''I was reading the screenplay and got to page 25 where it said I would get to tongue-kiss Kate Winslet,'' Rush said as his co-star laughed. "I said right then: 'Okay, I'll sign'.'' Without missing a beat, Winslet got up out of her chair at the news conference and moved down the table to where Rush was sitting and nearly knocked him to the ground with a deep kiss.

Kate certainly won over a reporter who interviewed her this morning in Berlin! I translated the following three items with help from an online translation engine - and then edited, LOL.

From AP Correspondent Wolfgang Huebner:

The beautiful Rose survived the cinematic sinking of the Titanic, and Kate Winslet is the natural rose in what is so far the largest film success of all time. But the 25-year-old Englishwoman enters her suite in the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel at the gendarme market in Berlin as no goddess, but a natural young woman. The nutty mother of a four-month-old daughter came with baby and husband Jim to the Berlinale in order to present her new film 'Quills' there. Winslet plays therein a servant who helps the Marquis de Sade, kept in a lunatic asylum, smuggle manuscripts of his notorious books to the external world. 'Quills' is the title of the film by Philip Kaufman, which does not have the mass success that 'Titanic' has. But the self-confident, always alert and discussion-happy working Briton became enthusiastic immediately for the material and film script. Sitting down with Kate Winslet, she is an extraordinarily beautiful young woman from this proximity, but somewhat too pale on this Saturday morning in the German capital. But as she speaks, fire is immediately seen in those eyes, which watched Leonardo di Caprio slip into the icy depths of the sea in the tragic ['Titanic']. The world star is a nutty mother and wife without 'airs'. She convincingly protests that she never expected early fame with 'Titanic'. She has modified nothing in her private life. And one indeed sees an obviously lucky young mother who travels on airliners and worries about her baby, in the other part of the hotel suite with her husband. Changed, however, are the career possibilities: 'I can now push difficult film projects with assured cooperation.' All three of her films after 'Titanic' were not hits. Winslet does not leave a doubt that she regards England, not Hollywood, as her home. She displays that noticeable energy, which so impressed in her cinematic debut in 'Heavenly Creatures' (1994) as a schoolgirl. Kate Winslet not only displays charisma on film, but also in a hotel suite on this cloudy day in February in Berlin.

"I Hate Nude Scenes"

     Kate Winslet, the 'Titanic' star, doesn't gladly undress before the camera. 'I hate nude scenes. It's a technical thing and doesn't have anything to do with intimacy,' said Winslet on Saturday during an interview in Berlin. 'I have seen so many unnecessary nude scenes in films already in the cinema. Sometimes the woman is only a victim,' said the British actress. Winslet is at the international film festival in Berlin for her new film 'Quills-Power of the Obsession.' She plays the maid of the pornographic writer Marquis de Sade and lets her clothing fall in several scenes [not 'several']. After success with 'Titanic', Leonardo di Caprio received the headlines, said Winslet. But actors should have the right to a normal life. 'I still go shopping and even to the local swimming pool,' said Winslet.

     Winslet came to Germany with her daughter Mia, born in October, and her husband Jim Threapleton. 'Mia is magnificent, she looks exactly like her father, only she has my mouth.' She makes much time for her daughter, stressed the actress. 'She is the most important thing in our lives, and because I don't work much, I have a lot of time for her.' In the past year she worked, for example, only four weeks. 'I would never go somewhere and leave Mia in England.'

     Winslet calls her new film project, 'Quills-Power of the Obsession' (directed by Philip Kaufman) with Geoffrey Rush in the role of the Marquis de Sade, a very risky project. 'I didn't know beforehand much about the life of de Sade. But I wanted to make this film, because it is important to tell of something which was so important in history," said Winslet. 'It is a very risky film, but if one does not take risks, then life is boring.'

Kate is causing some excitement for her fans in Berlin. This item is from a German news site:

'Titanic' actress Kate Winslet provided excitement for the fans waiting in front of numerous luxury hotels in the city. She traveled with husband and child for the opening of her new film 'Quills-Power of the Obsession' (director Philip Kaufman). The film, about writer Marquis de Sade, played by Geoffrey Rush, runs outside the competition. Rush has already celebrated at one of the numerous Berlinale parties.

"Sex, Lust Dominate Berlin Film Festival," By Adam Tanner

     BERLIN (Reuters) - Lust and sexual fulfillment came into passionate focus on Saturday in several films playing at the Berlin film festival offering different takes on sexual gratification.

     De Sade's twisted world is marked by rape, menage a trois, gay undertones and betrayal in the asylum where Winslet's character works as a maid. "She was a girl who had grown up in the lunatic asylum and had spent every single day of her life working there and not really seeing the outside world, and yet she seemed to have so much fun among all this hell and disaster,'' Winslet told Reuters about her character.

From Yahoo! News:

"Berlin Rolls Out Red Carpet For Film Festival," by Emma Thomasson

BERLIN (Reuters) - Actors, directors and critics descend on Berlin Wednesday for the opening of Europe's first major film showcase of the year, where 16 international movies make their world premiere and Oscar-hopefuls seek the limelight. The Berlinale, considered one of the world's top film festivals after Cannes and alongside Venice, is expected to attract 14,000 viewers to 300 films over 12 days. Stars including Kate Winslet, the British star of blockbuster 'Titanic', Latin pop singer Ricky Martin and British actor Peter Ustinov were due in Berlin Tuesday evening to receive German television awards. Winslet, who is expected to bring her three-month-old daughter Mia, will also be promoting her latest film, Philip Kaufman's ''Quills,'' a potential Oscar contender built around the French writer the Marquis de Sade.

From a Spanish language publication:

The Berlin festival is one in which many things turn around the kings of the cinematography. In fact, it is considered like the great airdrop platform of North American openings in Europe. For that reason the star presence expected participates in film of the United States, like Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta Jones, Anthony Hopkins, Sean Connery, Sean Penn, Jack Nicholson, Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, who will support their productions.

February 1:

"Siege Epic Opens Festival," by Stephen Finch:

     A spectacular movie based on the siege of Stalingrad - Enemy at the Gates - will open this year's Berlin Film Festival on February 7. The epic film, which stars Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Bob Hoskins and Ed Harris, tells the story of a Russian sniper who fights for his life against a German sharpshooter. It is directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, whose previous hits included The Name of the Rose and The Bear. The film was shot mainly in Germany. Festival Director Mortiz de Hadeln said: "With this film, director Jean-Jacques Annaud has brilliantly shed light on a chapter of German history. From the massive crowd scenes to the tiniest details, he and his team of German technicians successfully demonstrate that Germany and Europe are in a position to effectively realise such major projects and thus challenge the idea that Americans have a monopoly on such works."

     Galaxy of stars - A galaxy of stars are expected at the festival, which features many world premieres. Sean Connery will be plugging Finding Forrester, in which he plays a reclusive writer; Anthony Hopkins will be at the first showing of Hannibal; Kate Winslet will be promoting Quills; and Pierce Brosnan will publicise The Tailor of Panama, based on a John Le Carre novel.

     The 51st Berlin festival features films from 32 countries around the world. Among them is Don's Plum, by RD Robb, in which Leonardo DiCaprio portrays a disturbed teenage macho guy alongside Tobey Maguire. The film was shot in 1996 but completed just recently. British films in competition are Chocolat, Michael Winterbottom's The Claim and The Tailor of Panama, directed by John Boorman. Kirk Douglas will be honoured with a Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement and there will be a retrospective of the work of director Fritz Lang, whose newly reconstructed classic Metropolis will be premiered.