Last Berlinale he was waiting to hear the results of jury deliberations on his directorial debut, Left Luggage. This year as a jury member he's in a position to make that decision for others. So goes the life of Jeroen Krabbé: actor and emerging director.

"To be picked out of a strong competition is one chance in a million," he says. "That's what makes our task complicated. Because when you choose a movie it's going to be in the spotlight for a long time."

The effusive Krabbe is probably best known for his screen performances, having worked most famously with fellow Dutchman Paul Verhoeven as well as Barbra Streisand (The Prince of Tides) and Steven Soderbergh (Kafka).

What does he look for in judging a movie? "I ask myself: Am I moved by it in some way?" he says. "Does it tell me something that I didn't know; did it surprise me? I judge with my intuition and my professional background.

"This job is something you have to really be careful with. I'm very impressed by the variety and level of movies so far."

About his fellow jurors he says he likes the fact that so many, like him, have acting backgrounds. "We like each other and appreciate each other very much," he says.

So far, anyway. Owen Levy