Heath Ledger, who recently starred as a gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain, plays a heroin junkie in his next flick, Candy.

Ledger was in Berlin on Wednesday to spread the word about his new film, directed by Neil Armfield, which premiered in competition at the Berlin Film Festival.

Armfield states about the film, "It seems to me we are all pursuing ... this obsession with the perpetuation of pleasure at whatever cost," he continues, "The planet is being destroyed because people want their Hermes handbag."

To prepare himself for the role, Ledger had to avoid the sun during the summer to keep up a pale heroin-addict complexion. He and co-star Abbie Cornish also toured a drug rehab center to research their roles.

Ledger states, "(We) met with a gentleman who had been a junkie or an addict for 25 years and interviewed him."

The film is based on a Luke Davies novel.