She sings, she acts and now Madonna directs films

By Mike Collett-White and Mirja Spernal

BERLIN (Reuters) - Madonna can sing, her acting has been hit and miss, and now the question is, can she direct?

Confidence is certainly no barrier. In production notes for the pop queen's first feature film behind the camera, "Filth & Wisdom", the 49-year-old said she was aiming high.

"I have always been inspired by the films of Goddard, Visconti, Passolini and Fellini and hope that I may one day make something that comes close to their genius," she wrote in a statement, listing four great film makers and misspelling two.

Her 81-minute first feature is unlikely to be hailed as a classic. However, many journalists who saw it at the Berlin Film Festival on Wednesday before a world premiere gala screening said it was better than they expected.

The light-hearted, fast-paced story of three flatmates seeking fame and fulfillment, each reflecting aspects of Madonna's own life, is also unlikely to be her last.

"It's definitely not a one-off," Madonna told Reuters Television in an interview.

She told a packed news conference later she might release "Filth & Wisdom" on the Internet and planned to unveil a documentary about Malawi at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

"Filth & Wisdom" is certain to draw comparisons with the work of director husband Guy Ritchie. Asked in the interview if she sought his advice during the shooting, she replied:

"Not the editing so much but definitely before I started filming ... He said 'confidence, that's the most important thing that you need to exude on a set, confidence.'"

PERSONAL STRUGGLE

"Filth & Wisdom" follows narrator "A.K.", a Ukrainian immigrant and self-proclaimed philosopher and poet, as he strives for superstardom with his gypsy punk band.

He is played by Eugene Hutz, member of real-life band Gogol Bordello, and the group's music features on the soundtrack. Madonna's "Erotica" and Britney Spears's "Baby One More Time" are also used.

To help make ends meet A.K. doubles as a cross-dresser, fulfilling clients' fantasies by donning costumes including that of a teacher and a dressage rider.

He shares an apartment with Holly, a trained ballerina who reluctantly takes on a new job as a pole dancer, and Juliette, who longs to help children in Africa.

The parallels with Madonna's own life are clear. As well as becoming one of the most successful singers of all time, she has taken on charity work for children in Africa and is in the process of adopting a boy from Malawi.