The character initially appeared in US pulp literature in 1919, and "The Mark of Zorro," the first film starring the masked vigilante, was released exactly a century ago. As in many other superhero stories, the mask serves to disguise Zorro's true identity. Shown here is Antonio Banderas in a 1998 adaptation, titled "The Mask of Zorro."

In the long history of Zorro adaptations, Tyrone Power's portrayal of the swashbuckling vigilante remains one of the most famous ones. In "The Mark of Zorro" (1940), he too wore the famous black mask that only covers the upper half of the face and still allows the hero's eyes to shine.

In the history of cinema, most masks have appeared in entertainment movies, but there are some exceptions. An early example is the 1931 film "Kameradschaft" (Comradeship) by Austrian director Georg Wilhelm Pabst. The drama is inspired by a historic mining accident that happened in 1906 along the border between France and Germany; in the film, the events are set right after the First World War.

US cinema has seldom produced such a moving, humanistic film. "The Elephant Man" by director David Lynch, who was still at the very beginning of his career in 1980, tells the real story of a severely deformed man, John Merrick, who avoids bullying by hiding his handicap with a mask: a linen cloth covering his entire head, with only a hole to see and breathe.

In many modern comic books, superheroes are masked too, allowing them to do their good deeds anonymously. Like Zorro, Batman — one of DC Comics' most popular characters — only covers the upper half of his face. Shown here is George Clooney in the role, alongside Chris O'Donnell as Robin, in a film from 1997.

Batman's most enduring love interest, Catwoman has also long been one of his rivals, and she hides her true identity behind a mask as well. Halle Berry portrayed the anti-heroine in the sexy catsuit in 2004. Critics panned the film, but it was nevertheless a box office hit.

A great classic of the swashbuckler genre was written by Alexandre Dumas in 1844: "The Three Musketeers" was adapted into numerous movies. Similarly, his sequel novel, "The Vicomte de Bragelonne," has inspired many cloak and dagger films, including the 1998 "The Man in the Iron Mask," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, shown here looking pensively at his mask.

Also written by a French author, the novel "Le Fantôme de l'Opéra" has been turned into several plays and movies since its publication in 1909. As in "The Elephant Man," the Phantom of the Opera wears a mask to hide his disfigured face. Shown above is actor Gerard Butler, who starred in the title role of the 2004 film adaptation, alongside film director Joel Schumacher.

Hannibal Lecter is a cannibalistic serial killer appearing in novels by Thomas Harris. Anthony Hopkins offered a truly terrifying interpretation of the character in "The Silence of the Lambs," the film version directed by Jonathan Demme in 1988. Lecter's mask serves to protect prison guards and visitors from being attacked; it became an iconic symbol of the movie.

Most often, masks appearing in horror movies are worn by mysterious serial killers who cover their faces as they haunt the neighborhood. Featuring a masked murderer called Ghostface, Wes Craven's black comedy slasher "Scream" from 1996 satirized the clichés of the genre and spawned a series of sequels.

The mask plays a completely different role in Stanley Kubrick's last film, "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999). In one of the central scenes of the film, the protagonists hide behind Venetian masks (shown above: a photo from an exhibition on Stanley Kubrick) in a mysterious orgy. A symbol of eroticism, the masks allow participants to join the sex ritual anonymously and let their fantasies run wild.

A mask is also a classic accessory in gangster films, allowing criminals to act without exposing their identity. Very often, burglars have opted for a three-hole ski mask, also known as the balaclava, to cover their face. This type of mask appeared in the German film "Victoria" (2015) by director Sebastian Schipper, a crime thriller shot in a single continuous take.

Guy Fawkes was a Catholic fanatic who attempted to blow up the English parliament in 1605. A stylized depiction of this historical figure became known as the Guy Fawkes mask. After it was featured in the dystopian political action film "V for Vendetta" in 2005, it became an icon of popular culture and started appearing in protests worldwide.

In "The Mask," a superhero comedy from 1994, a mysterious mask gives magical powers to a shy bank employee played by Jim Carrey. Allowing him to cartoonishly alter his appearance, the mask turns the insecure man into a superhero. In this case, the mask leads to a crazy film trip.

Finally, the "Joker," which won Venice's Golden Lion and two Oscars, was an outstanding success in 2019. As the title character, actor Joaquin Phoenix isn't directly wearing a mask; he rather alters his identity through make-up. But following the release of the film, clown masks inspired by his Joker, seen as an anti-establishment symbol, also started appearing in protests.

Six films were nominated in the top category, best feature film. Among them is a film that just premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival: Burhan Qurbani's modern-day adaptation of Alfred Döblin's classic novel, "Berlin Alexanderplatz," originally set in 1920s Berlin. The film is an impressive three-hour epic on flight, migration and big city life.

"It's the Spoken Word" by director Ilker Catak also addresses central issues of contemporary German society, showing some parallels to "Berlin Alexanderplatz." In the film, a Kurdish man (played by Ogulcan Arman Uslu) wants to gain a foothold in Germany and gets involved in a fictitious marriage with a German.

In the statistics of the German Film Awards, director Christian Petzold is listed as the person who has been nominated most often to date — but he's never received the award. This time around he has another chance with his film "Undine," which oscillates between fairy tale and contemporary drama. "Undine" (with Paula Beer) also celebrated its world premiere at the 70th Berlinale this year.

"Lara" is an intense drama and another work on the list of six nominated films in the top category. Director Jan-Ole Gerster tells the story of a woman who had to break off her career as a pianist and who now dumps her frustration and passion onto her son, who is also a pianist (played by Tom Schilling). Corinna Harfouch offers an impressive performance in the main role.

"Lindenberg! Do your thing" is a trip back through time to the Federal Republic of Germany during the 1960s and 70s, offering a very entertaining view of the early phases of musician Udo Lindenberg's career. Director Hermine Huntgeburth manages — along with her outstanding leading actor Jan Bülow — to create a musical biopic that's also a historical snapshot of an era.

The multiple award-winning "System Crasher" is also one of the films that are now competing for the main prize in the category best feature film on April 24. Director Nora Fingscheidt and her impressive story of a child (played by Helena Zengel), who apparently does not want to adapt to any German educational system, was submitted as the German contribution for the Oscars.

In the second main category, best documentary film, three works made it into the final round of the competition. In addition to "Schlingensief" (about director Christoph Schlingensief, who died in 2010) and "Heimat ist ein Raum aus Zeit" (a cinematic essay on German history), the third film "Born in Evin" (photo) was nominated — a personal story by Maryam Zaree, born in the notorious Iran prison.

The third main category at the 70th German Film Awards, best children's film, features only two works in the final round. "Fritzi: A Revolutionary Tale" is an animated film for children about the fall of the Berlin Wall. "When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit" (starring Riva Krymalowski, photo) is the literary adaptation of the popular novel by Judith Kerr, directed by Caroline Link.

The award in the category greatest box office success is already known. Here, "The Perfect Secret" by director Bora Dagtekin won the competition. The comedy is a remake of an Italian box-office hit and features a number of prominent German actors (including Karoline Herfurth and Elyas M'Barek). Five million movie-goers have seen "The Perfect Secret" so far.

It's also clear that Edgar Reitz will grab an honorary prize. The director, who created a feature film series called "Heimat" in 1984, brought worldwide recognition to German cinema. Reitz is being honored for his life's work. He was one of the founding fathers of the New German Cinema in the 1960s and since then he has made many award-winning feature films and documentaries.