Berlin Flashback: The Fest Went Nuts for Walt Disney and His Nature Doc ‘Perri’

Mayor Willy Brandt welcomed him by saying, "Our children remind us of your characters every day."

Walt Disney's visit to the 1958 Berlinale hardly went unnoticed. The very fact that the co-founder of the Walt Disney Co. was flying to Germany made the front page of The Hollywood Reporter.

As the Cold War was heating up, the staunchly conservative Disney, then 56, made the rounds in Berlin, appearing at the Brandenburg Gate and visiting new mayor Willy Brandt, who welcomed him, saying, "Our children remind us of your characters every day."

Jade Roller Facial Gua Sha Set, 100% Real Natural Jade Face Roller and Gua Sha Massage Skin Care Tool - Anti Aging Jade Face Massager Facial Roller fo...

$8.94

M.A.C. Hypnotizing Holiday Surprise Eyes Eye Shadow x 6 Palette - Warm

$44.98

belif Moisturizing Bomb Duo Skincare Set | 26 Hours Lightweight & Soothing Hydration | Moisturizer for Dry, Oily & Sensitive Skin | Clinically Tested ...

$73.00

StansOut Makeup Blending Sponge Blender for Foundation - Liquid, Cream or Powder Beauty Blending Memory Foam - Latex Free, Vegan (1 piece)

$20.00

The still young film festival, then in its eighth year, had invited Disney because his studio's live-action Perri was screening in its documentary lineup. Part of the True Life Adventures nature series, the film follows a female squirrel over the course of a year as she seeks a mate.

Although the series has been criticized for anthropomorphizing its animals, it was popular at the time, winning eight Academy Awards over 12 years. The 75-minute Perri was not among the series' major installments, but The New York Times praised its "beautifully foliaged close-ups and suitable vignettes of forest creatures in repose, on the prowl and, most forcibly, in intramural warfare." And it won Berlin's Golden Bear award as the best documentary.

This year's fest will again invoke Disney's name as it honors the Walt Disney Co.'s 100th anniversary with a screening of Disney animated shorts selected by Disney Animation Studios president Clark Spencer, the Oscar-winning producer of Zootopia and Encanto.