BERLIN (Reuters) - This year's Berlin International Film Festival will reflect the dark chaos of the modern world and deliver a timely commentary on events in the United States, but viewers will also be able to enjoy plenty of lighter moments, its director said on Tuesday.

"Despite all of the resentment in the world, it is a conciliatory and life-affirming program in the sense that the artists describe the daily apocalypse in which we have found ourselves, also in a visual way, but not without humor and ... they don't describe it without an exit route," Dieter Kosslick told reporters.

"Our Berlinale program is also an answer to the kind of brainless, simple stories that we're hearing from across the pond that take your breath away and leave you thinking: this just can't be true!"

While Kosslick did not mention the name of President Donald Trump, who has provoked an international uproar by suspending travel to the United States by citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, he said this year's line-up was "protest enough".

The choice of movies aims to show that diversity beats monotony, and tackles issues such as persecution of homosexuals and discrimination against racial minorities, he added.

Stars expected to attend the 67th edition of the Berlinale, which runs from Feb. 9 to Feb. 19, include Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Robert Pattinson, Penelope Cruz, Catherine Deneuve and Sienna Miller.

(Reporting by Michelle Martin and Reuters TV; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)