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Festival boss Rissenbeek and Chatrian at the press conference for the Berlinale 2024
Photo: Liesa Johannssen / REUTERS
The invitation of an AfD politician to the opening of the Berlinale has provoked harsh criticism from the industry. More than 200 people, mostly filmmakers, expressed their “outrage” about the invitations in an open letter and accused the festival management of counteracting previous statements against right-wing populism.
Now the festival management has drawn conclusions. In a statement she announced that the AfD politicians had been disinvited again.
"Especially in view of the revelations that have emerged in recent weeks about explicitly anti-democratic positions and individual AfD politicians, it is important for us - as a Berlinale and as a team - to take an unambiguous stand for an open democracy," says it in the statement that was sent on behalf of the management around Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian.
Specifically, the two invitees were Kristin Brinker and Ronald Brille. Brinker is the state and parliamentary group leader of the AfD in Berlin and was recently noticed because of her participation in a meeting with right-wing extremists in the apartment of the former finance senator Peter Kurth. She said afterwards that she soon left the celebration because she was shocked by the audience. A party colleague objected. He spoke to Brinker there at a “very late hour.” Glasses is deputy leader of the Berlin AfD.
Along with Cannes and Venice, the Berlinale is one of the world's largest film festivals. The next edition is scheduled for February 15th to 25th.
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