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Filmmaker Decker: “No room” for xenophobia or racism

Photo: Matthias Balk/dpa

The German screenwriter and director Anika Decker (“Keinohrhasen”, “Liebesdings”) considers it a “big mistake” that several AfD politicians received an invitation to the opening event of the Berlinale, which begins on February 15th.

According to the 48-year-old, the festival stands for cosmopolitanism and tolerance. There should be “no room whatsoever” for xenophobia and racism. "We fought hard for there to be more diversity, and now the AfD is questioning this."

In an open letter dated February 2nd, more than 200 filmmakers demanded that the invitations to AfD politicians be revoked. The Berlinale then spoke out clearly against right-wing radicalism and pointed out that both the federal cultural commissioner, Claudia Roth, and the Berlin Senate received invitation quotas for the opening ceremony. These would be awarded to the elected representatives from all parties in the Bundestag and the Berlin House of Representatives.

»Show attitude«

Roth defended the festival management's approach - with reference to democratic practice. "At our suggestion, the members of the cultural committee of the German Bundestag, which is responsible for policy matters, were also invited to the opening of the Berlinale, which was also made possible with significant federal funding," said a spokesman for Roth in a statement. This corresponds to democratic practice "and the federal government's respect for parliament and its elected representatives."

Decker now told SPIEGEL that, in her opinion, AfD MPs had no place at the Berlinale opening. The idea that the Berlin AfD state chairwoman Kristin Brinker, who took part in a meeting with right-wing extremists, would meet this year's jury president - the Kenyan actress and Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o - at the opening was "difficult to bear."

The festival and the entire film industry now have to “take a stand,” said Decker. If something similar were to happen at the Oscars, there would be a “huge outcry.”

Decker joins the demand of the signatories of the open letter to disinvite the AfD politicians again. If this is not possible, you would have to “clearly communicate to guests from abroad that you have also invited people whose political beliefs you fundamentally reject. Then everyone can decide whether to come or not.I am also a Democrat and I am aware of the procedure with the ticket quotas, but I would like to see even clearer signals that make it clear that these guests are not welcome.«