Entertainment News Roundup: Berlinale film shows sister exploring the limits of grief and more

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Berlin stars in tale of a refugee's hunger to belong

Away from Berlin's clubs, far from the tourist hotspots, young drug dealers, many of them immigrants, eke out a marginal existence on the fringes of the city: theirs is the story of Afghan-German director Burhan Qurbani's "Berlin Alexanderplatz". A retelling of Alexander Doeblin's 1929 novel, the film thrusts itself into contemporary debates over immigration and identity that are racking Germany by turning Franz, the small-time crook at the heart of the novel into Francis, an African refugee, played by Portuguese-Guinean artist Welket Bungue.

Placido Domingo apologizes after union finds he sexually harassed women

Opera singer Placido Domingo apologized to the women who have accused him of sexual harassment on Tuesday after an investigation by the American Guild of Musical Artists concluded he had behaved inappropriately with female performers. One of the most feted and powerful opera stars of the modern era, Domingo said in a statement he had spent several months reflecting on the allegations made by his musical colleagues.

It's a wrap: Russian Batmobile towed away in plastic after city jaunt

A would-be Russian superhero returned to reality with a bump when police pulled him over as he drove a replica Batmobile through Moscow. The vehicle was too wide for the city's streets and had not been certified as roadworthy, a Moscow interior ministry spokesman said late on Tuesday.

Weinstein's acquittal on some charges may hamper appeal of sex crimes conviction

Harvey Weinstein will seek to overturn his sex crimes conviction by arguing that the jury was prejudiced by testimony from women unconnected to prosecutors' underlying case, his lawyers have said. But, according to experts, he faces a legal hurdle: his acquittal on some of the most serious charges. Weinstein, 67, faces up to 29 years in prison for sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping Jessica Mann, a former aspiring actress, in 2013.

Weinstein upbeat at Manhattan hospital after sex crimes conviction, lawyer says

Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was in good spirits on Tuesday, as he accepted visitors while under police guard at a Manhattan hospital, his lawyer said, despite having been convicted a day earlier of sexual assault and rape. Weinstein had been expected to move to New York City's notorious Rikers Island jail complex following the verdict, but was admitted late Monday night to Bellevue Hospital a few miles away.

'Call him Harry': Prince insists on informality as he starts last royal duties

Britain's Prince Harry started the last round of his royal duties on an informal note on Wednesday, making it clear the audience listening to his speech on sustainable travel in Edinburgh should simply call him Harry. Queen Elizabeth's grandson and his American wife Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have announced they will step down from their duties as senior royals next month to spend more time in North America.

Berlinale film shows sister exploring the limits of grief

Swiss directors Stephanie Chuat and Veronique Reymond were guided by their experience of losing their own mothers in creating a "My Little Sister", the tale of a woman's struggle to support her twin brother through his terminal illness. Set in Berlin and the Swiss Alps, the film stars Nina Hoss as Lisa, a wife and mother of two driven to the brink while trying to juggle her family and work with the emotional and physical challenge of caring for her brother.

Actor Johnny Depp takes Sun newspaper to court in 'wife beater' libel case

Hollywood star Johnny Depp appeared in a London court on Wednesday to hear his lawyer argue that Depp's ex-wife had lied when she accused him of beating her in comments quoted by the tabloid newspaper the Sun. Depp, the 55-year-old star of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, is suing the tabloid's publisher, News Group Newspapers, and its executive editor Dan Wootton for libel over an article Wootton wrote in 2018 calling Depp a "wife beater".

Lanvin's Sialelli revisits tradition in retro-themed Paris show

Lanvin designer Bruno Sialelli quoted from decades of fashion history on Wednesday in a ready-to-wear show fully befitting France's oldest fashion house. With French actress Isabelle Huppert and the rapper Tyga in the front row, Lanvin's Winter 2020 runway celebrated old-school glamour as it mixed modernity with icons from long-gone eras.

Spain cancels Placido Domingo performances over sexual misconduct allegations

Spain's culture ministry on Wednesday canceled performances by Placido Domingo in Madrid in May following allegations of sexual harassment by the opera star. The ministry said it had called off the Spanish singer's performance in the operetta "Luisa Fernanda" at the Zarzuela Theater on May 14 and 15 in solidarity with women who had been affected by his alleged sexual misconduct.

(With inputs from agencies.)