From Meryl Streep to Wonder Woman and Harvey Weinstein: these are our picks for movers and shakers on the 2017 culture scene - in good as in bad.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/Warner Bros./C. EnosHer depiction of the off-key singer Florence Foster Jenkins brought in an Oscar nomination and mixed reviews. But Meryl Streep really made a splash at the Golden Globes in January, heaping scorn on the crude statements of the newly elected US president without mentioning his name – and criticizing his policy of deporting foreigners.
In the US, the talk show host seems to spearhead a non-parliamentary opposition with his late night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live." He had tears in his eyes when he spoke about weapons laws after the October shootings in his home town, Las Vegas. Like his colleagues Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah, he doesn't just ridicule Donald Trump; he also uses facts to expose the US president.
Germans have been watching top-notch US and British series for years, while there hasn't been much on offer from their home country. But that changed this year with director Tom Tykwer's "Babylon Berlin," a period drama set during the Weimar Republic. Season one has been shown, and the next two seasons are in production. Tykwer also heads the jury at next year's Berlin Film Festival.
She's one of the faces of the sexism controversy: the 44-year-old extensively related how the American film producer Harvey Weinstein exploited her sexually for years and wielded his power in Hollywood. She also accused Weinstein of rape – and the list of women who afterwards came forward to reveal how he had abused and harrassed them comprises nearly 90 celebrities and employees.
Salma Hayek called him a "monster," and Uma Thurman twittered that Weinstein doesn't even deserve a bullet. The mogul was ousted from his company and the Oscar Academy; police are investigating various allegations including rape. What's worse: His behavior was an open secret in Hollywood, and jokes were even made about it.
The son of Woody Allen and Mia Farrow got the ball rolling on Weinstein this year with his report in the New Yorker. A veritable wunderkind, Ronan graduated from college at age 15, went on to study law in Yale, and then worked as a government adviser during the Obama administration. He is estranged from his father.
Another career in tatters: Oscar-award winning actor Kevin Spacey faces sexual misconduct allegations by male colleagues. Filming of the highly acclaimed series "House of Cards" has been shelved, and director Ridley Scott cut the scenes from his film initially starring Spacey. The actor seized the moment to out himself as gay – as if that were a reason for sexual abuse.
After her concert in Manchester on May 22, a suicide bomber detonated himself in the foyer, killing 22. On June 4, Grande returned, bringing Justin Bieber, Pharrell, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Robbie Williams along with her. The proceeds of her "One Love Manchester" benefit went to an emergency fund for the victims of the attack.
In May, the Portuguese jazz singer won the Eurovision Song Contest for his country with the hit song "Amar pelos dois." Sobral was in fragile health at the time and received a heart transplant in December, from which he is reported to be suffering complications.
Yes, that's Israeli ex-model Gal Gadot in a skimpy outfit as Wonder Woman. This year's filming of the comic by director Patty Jenkins reveals a strong personality. The film broke box office records and initiated discussion about feminism.
October 31, on the 500th anniversary of the reformation, was an extra holiday this year in Germany. Martin Luther is to have uttered the stubborn words "Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise." The reformer's convictions included a pronounced intolerance toward other denominations and even anti-Semitism. On the positive side, Luther was a signature figure in the development of the German language.
The Ukranian conductor is one of the most successful women of her trade. After she'd served as deputy chief conductor of the Odessa National Opera, Kirill Petrenko made her his assistant at the Bavarian State Opera in 2013. She founded a national youth orchestra in her homeland and has been principal conductor of the opera and philharmonic orchestra in the Austrian city of Graz since September.
Incarcerated since February, the journalist was not even formally charged with a crime for months. The European Court of Human Rights set a deadline for the Turkish government to give a statement on the case, and he is meanwhile accused of having spread "terrorist propaganda." A symbol of Erdogan's authoritarian rule in Turkey, Yücel has been awarded the Theodor Wolff Prize for press freedom.
In this case, one can only say: that was her year! The German performance artist earned a Golden Lion for Best National Entry at the Art Biennial in Venice. The art periodical "Monopol" named her most important figure in the 2017 art world, and she headed Germany's "Kunstkompass" list of "Tomorrow's Stars." She has every reason to ring in the New Year.
It is easy to feel that the past year has been somewhat… strange. In 2017, we saw the first year of Donald Trump as US president. He has become quite a ubiquitous figure, even in cultural affairs, where he acted as the accelerator of many trends in contemporary art.
At the beginning of the year, for instance, the actress Meryl Streep made a fierce plea against divisive tendencies all around the world, and the hosts of late-night shows in the US became a sort of non-parliamentary opposition.
'House of Cards' collapsed
Even the producers of "House of Cards" had to acknowledge that before the fifth season of the popular Netflix show began, the show and its fictitious US president, Francis Underwood, had been passed up by the real thing.
But shortly before filming of the sixth season began, the creators had to face quite a different problem: numerous male colleagues accused the star of the series, Kevin Spacey, of sexual assault.
The show will now continue without Spacey, while the allegations — and a criminal investigation in the UK — may spell the end of the actor's illustrious career.
And behind the scenes...
It's safe to say that the professional life of Harvey Weinstein is over, with the Hollywood producer being investigated for sexual abuse and rape.
American actresses such as Rose McGowan, Asia Argento and Ashley Judd reported in detail how Weinstein had exploited his power, demanded sexual favors and threatened to destroy their careers if they went public with their stories.
"The Weinstein effect," which has brought down other famous names in show business, was followed by the worldwide #MeToo debate on social media.
That said, 2017 has not been just a year of failures. Flick through the gallery above and find out all the ups and downs of the passing year.
