Polanski absent, but still the center of attention, as his new movie debuts in Berlin

Polanski’s new film makes debut in Berlin

BERLIN — Roman Polanski is missing his own party as his first movie in five years makes its debut at the Berlin film festival.

“The Ghost Writer,” based on a novel by Robert Harris, stars Pierce Brosnan as a former British prime minister and Ewan McGregor as a ghost writer hired to complete his memoirs on an island off the U.S. east coast.

Producer Robert Benmussa said Friday the film was nearly complete by the time Polanski was arrested last September. He said Polanski continued to work on the movie in jail and then at his Swiss chalet, where he remains under house arrest.

Polanski’s team painted a picture of the director as a perfectionist who involved himself with every aspect of the movie. “It’s such a great shame that he’s not here today,” McGregor said.