Germany: Throughout 2009, Berlin has been celebrating "20 Years Since the Fall of the Wall," the anniversary of the opening of transit points between East and West Berlin. On Nov. 9, 1989, the East German government allowed its citizens to enter freely into West Berlin, resulting in one of the world’s great parties and eventually the unification of Germany. This Monday, a Festival of Freedom will be celebrated around the Brandenburg Gate starting at 5 p.m. The highlight will be a staged "fall" using 1,000 giant painted dominoes covering more than one mile between Potsdamer Platz and the Reichstag. Between 7:25 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., they will be knocked down, symbolizing the wall’s fall and its resulting effects on the rest of the world. Find more details starting on Page 23, and on the Web at www.mauerfall09.de/en.

Venues in Mannheim and Heidelberg are sharing the premiere of 25 international films during the cities’ annual International Film Festival, which continues through Nov. 15. The event highlights new independent filmmakers in International Competition and International Discoveries categories (in native languages with both German and English subtitles). Other categories include children’s cinema and films from the former East Germany. Single admission costs 6.50 euros for adults and 5.50 euros for children. A book of 10 tickets costs 48 euros for adults and 43 euros for children. For more details on the films and venues, including a schedule of what is showing when, go to www.iffmh.de.