Leonardo DiCaprio Shines At Cinema for Peace



The Eighth Annual Cinema For Peace Awards and Charity Gala took place on February 9^th 2009 at the historic “Konzerthaus” in Berlin. Invited guests included high profile figures of international film, all gathering to celebrate a selection of cinematic works that promote peace and tolerance. The recognized directors and actors were honored for their focus on highlighting humanity, peace and efficient climate protection, while raising significant funds for charity.

Celebrities included stars from media, film, music and politics like Leonardo DiCaprio, Catherine Deneuve, Mikhail Gorbachev, Bryan Adams, Christopher Lee and many more. Most notable was Leonardo DiCaprio, the medias favorite star of the night who had this to say about sustainability;

“It’s about supporting these new technologies. Whatever those technologies might be you have to create an economy for that and that means if you have the opportunity, if you have the means and if you so choose, try to endorse new forward thinking technologies.”  

DiCaprio was honored with the “International Green Film Award” for his commitment to the environment. BMW and Mikhail Gorbachev presented the award. Mikhail Gorbachev introduced DiCaprio on stage to an audience of over 600, to which DiCaprio shared a personal story of visiting his grandmother in Berlin as a young boy. DiCaprio, paying homage to the twenty year anniversary of the Peaceful Revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall, commented;

“Solving the environmental crisis is our turning point. It is our next Berlin wall.”

BMW was the exclusive presenting partner at the awards for the third consecutive year. With the “International Green Film Award,” BMW recognizes outstanding cinematic achievements and personalities in the film businesses who have worked on behalf of the environment and climate protection. The award came with a $250,000 donation towards an environmental foundation or film project. It also offers a platform for environmental activists and dedicated artists to draw attention to as well as strengthen and encourage the public conscience for environmental issues. Jan Christiaan Koenders, Head of Brand Communication for BMW had this to say;

“Cinema for Peace stands for change and change needs a little joy. BMW is doing precisely this with the efficient dynamics program. We are committed to promoting emotions and visions at the same time.”

Throught the years, Leonardo DiCaprio has been a staunch activist of environmental issues. In addition to The Leonardo Dicaprio Foundation, which he set up at age 24, DiCapro also sits on the board of Global Green USA and the National Resources Defense Council. He has also financed and produced various short films and independent movies, including “Global Warming” and “Water Planet” as well as the environmental documentary “11^th Hour.”