The American television series
HOMELAND stars Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, a CIA agent fighting terrorism. The series premiered in America on 2 October 2011 on the cable channel Showtime.
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| The three main characters in Berlin for season 5 |
Warning: the text may give away details of the plot. The series has had 8 seasons, the last one is to be broadcasted in 2020. Production of the fifth season was set in the summer of 2015 in Germany, on more than 50 different locations. It was the first time that an American series was entirely filmed in Germany. The twelve episodes were broadcasted in America from 4 October to 20 December 2015. The story continues, two years after the conclusion of season 4. Carrie has said farewell to the CIA and has moved to Berlin.
She lives with Jonas Hollander (Alexander Fehling) and her two-year-old daughter Franny (Luna and Lotta Pfitzer). Carrie now works as head of security for the Düring Foundation, a philanthropic organization.
During the opening credits a number of well-known places in Berlin are shown, including the Siegessäule (Victory Column) and the Brandenburg Gate. Between the two monuments lies the more than 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) long Straße des 17. Juni (17th of June Street). This road is named after the uprising against the communist regime in East Germany on 17 June 1953.
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| Homeland, opening credits, 0:01:30 |
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| Straße des 17. Juni, Berlin, 28 June 2019 |
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| Homeland, opening credits, 0:01:31 |
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| Siegessäule, Berlin, 28 June 2019 |
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| Homeland, opening credits, 0:01:36 |
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| Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, 4 July 2019 |
At the start of the first episode a bearded man enters strip club King George. It soon becomes clear that he is a hacker. The King George Club is a real sex club and is located at Grunewaldstraße 23 in the Schöneberg district. I had not planned to visit this location but I happened to pass it on the way to the school of Carrie's daughter which is just around the corner.
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| Homeland, season 5, episode 1, 0:02:51 |
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| Club King George, Grunewaldstraße 23, Berlin, 4 July 2019 |
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Mosaic, Karl-Schrader-Straße 9,
Berlin, 4 July 2019 |
Carrie brings her daughter Franny to school by bike. The kindergarten is located at Karl-Schrader-Straße 9. The building dates from 1910 and was designed by Richard Schröder. Above the entrance is a mosaic of a girl who appears to be holding an orange. The text reads 'Berliner Krippenverein + unter dem Protektorat D.K.H. der Kronprinzessin'. I have not been able to find out what 'Krippenverein' exactly means (krippen = crib, verein = society), 'Protektorate' is protectorate, 'D.K.H.' stands for Deutsche Kinderhilfe (German youth care) and 'Kronprinzessin' means crown princess.
The building nowadays serves as a community center and houses a daycare, so the playground came in handy.
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| Homeland, season 5, episode 1, 0:07:32 |
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| Karl-Schrader-Straße 9, Berlin, 4 July 2019 |
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| Homeland, season 5, episode 1, 0:08:00 |
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| Karl-Schrader-Straße, Berlin, 4 July 2019 |
Carrie is on her way to the Düring Foundation and crosses the Litfaß-Platz. The building in the background is the Faculty of Economics of the Humboldt-Universität, the oldest university in Berlin.
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| Homeland, season 5, episode 1, 0:08:19 |
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| Litfaß-Platz, Berlin, 30 June 2019 |
During the birthday party of Franny, Laura Sutton (Sarah Sokolovic), a colleague of Carrie, comes to visit. The apartment complex is located at Egerstraße 1 in the Schmargendorf district. In the episode only a part of the entrance is shown, the publicity photo shows more of the building.
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| Homeland, season 5, episode 1, 0:16:59 |
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| Egerstraße 1, Berlin, 4 July 2019 |
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| Claire Danes and Sarah Sokolovic outside Carrie's apartment |
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| Egerstraße 1, Berlin, 4 July 2019 |
At the same time, Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin), head of the CIA in Europe and Carrie's former mentor, has a meeting in restaurant Grosz at Kurfürstendamm 193 with, among others, Allison Carr (Miranda Otto). She is head of the CIA in Berlin. After the meeting they walk outside together.
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| Homeland, season 5, episode 1, 0:34:19 |
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| Grosz, Kurfürstendamm 193, Berlin, 3 July 2019 |
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| Homeland, season 5, episode 1, 0:34:23 |
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| Kurfürstendamm, Berlin, 3 July 2019 |
Saul walks across the Gendarmenmarkt and Peter Quinn (Rupert Friend), another former colleague of Carrie, passes by. During our visit the square was closed for several days for an event and I could only photograph the buildings that were high enough.
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| Homeland, season 5, episode 1, 0:35:11 |
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| Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin, 3 July 2019 |
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| Homeland, season 5, episode 1, 0:35:16 |
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| Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin, 3 July 2019 |
In episode 3, Saul Berenson has a meeting with the Israeli ambassador to Germany, Etai Luskin (Allan Corduner). They stand on the balcony of the Akademie der Künste, overlooking the Pariser Platz. Behind them the Brandenburg Gate, the dome of the Reichstag and the French embassy are visible.
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| Homeland, season 5, episode 3, 0:33:13 |
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| Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, 4 July 2019 |
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| Homeland, season 5, episode 3, 0:33:19 |
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| Pariser Platz, Berlin, 4 July 2019 |
Carrie decides to go to the Netherlands in episode 7, looking for the widow of a corrupt lawyer. The scenes in Amsterdam were filmed in the Dutch Quarter of Potsdam, with the exception of the first shot which says 'Zeeburg District Amsterdam'. Since 2010, Amsterdam no longer has a district with the name Zeeburg. This is the Märkische Ufer, a canal in Berlin. Note that the second house from the left was in scaffolding during the filming and not during our visit, usually it is the other way around.
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| Homeland, season 5, episode 7, 0:30:58 |
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| Märkische Ufer, Berlin, 4 July 2019 |
Laura calls Numan (Atheer Adel), the hacker from the first episode who is just leaving metro station Birkenstraße. He has hacked Carrie's laptop and downloaded documents. Since filming ended, the metro station has been renovated and was given a new entrance.
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| Homeland, season 5, episode 11, 0:21:01 |
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| Birkenstraße, Berlin, 4 July 2019 |
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| Homeland, season 5, episode 11, 0:21:16 |
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| Birkenstraße, Berlin, 4 July 2019 |
Carrie suspects that there will be a terrorist attack on Berlin Hauptbahnhof, the central station for both trains and the metro. She enters the building looking for the possible perpetrator.
The current station building was opened on 26 May 2006 by Chancellor Angela Merkel.
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| Homeland, season 5, episode 11, 0:48:42 |
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| Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Berlin, 28 June 2019 |
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| Homeland, season 5, episode 11, 0:48:59 |
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| Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Berlin, 28 June 2019 |
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| Homeland, season 5, episode 11, 0:49:39 |
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| Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Berlin, 28 June 2019 |
Thanks to Magnus Hildebrandt of
Shot in Berlin for providing the addresses of Carrie's apartment and Franny's school.
Screenshots and publicity photos © Showtime
First time? I don't think so as plenty of American shows have been filmed elsewhere, especially Australia and New Zealand. Remember Xena: Warrior Princess? The Pacific? Top of the Lake?
ReplyDeleteYour are right. I have changed “It was the first time that an American series was entirely filmed in another country” into “It was the first time that an American series was entirely filmed in Germany”. Thanks for your comment!
DeleteThe fifth season of the TV series Homeland (2011-2020) is considered excellent for several reasons:
ReplyDeleteStrong character development: Throughout the fifth season, many of the key characters undergo significant growth and transformation. This includes protagonist Carrie Mathison, who struggles with balancing her personal life and career, as well as CIA operative Peter Quinn, who faces his own personal demons.
Timely themes: The fifth season of Homeland tackles numerous topical issues, including terrorism, government surveillance, and the consequences of war. Its exploration of these themes is both thought-provoking and relevant to the current political climate.
Tense and suspenseful storytelling: The season is filled with nail-biting moments and unexpected twists that keep viewers on the edge of their seats. The plot moves at a fast pace, with each episode building upon the last to create a sense of urgency and suspense.
Stellar performances: The cast of Homeland delivers standout performances in the fifth season, with Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin leading the way. Their portrayal of complex characters adds depth and emotional resonance to the series.
Cinematic quality: Homeland is known for its high production values, and the fifth season is no exception. The show's cinematography, editing, and sound design all contribute to the overall immersive experience, making it feel more like a feature film than a TV series.