Musician Sir Bob Geldof supports the Gala since its first edition in 2002. His motivation behind it: “Art can show where people have to change.” This year actor Sean Penn won the “Cinema for Peace Award” in Berlin for his involvement in Haiti. Besides Penn, the gala awarded socially and environmentally committed films. The event took place at the Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt where more than 600 guests walked over a freezing red carpet. But nobody cared. “It’s cool to be here,” said Penn. The donations from this year’s Gala will mostly flow into the reconstruction of Haiti. “We need people to live a normal life, and that costs money,” said Penn. Can an event such as “Cinema for Peace” really provoke change?