Our jury was introduced at an official ecumenical function on Sunday evening. This event was well attended (close to 200) by local dignitaries and made us feel especially welcome. The German Minister of Culture, Staatsminister Neumann, presided and introduced the two ranking Bishops (Catholic and Protestant) of Germany.
The Media Bishop of Germany, Catholic Bishop Dr. Furst, highlighted the need for better storytelling in cinema today: “Films that the cinema needs can only be made by creative people. This is why the churches believe it is necessary to improve the conditions promoting the creative forces. It is an art in itself to find viable resources to fund a film, but it is the mind of the author that sends out the actual creative spark, because he or she has an idea of how to tell a story in a new and appealing way; it is the mind of the director who sees the images that touch people so that they leave the cinema changed, taking the images with them.”
The Protestant Bishop Dr. Wolfgang Huber added: “Beyond their entertainment value, cinema movies need an added value, a message that makes us set out – initially for the cinema, but then also on an onward journey. Films have only a long-lasting effect, when they do not lead us away from ourselves, but into our innermost being. They make us encounter our own fantasies, fears, and dreams, our own feelings, doubts, and hopes… A festival such as the Berlinale is a great occasion to celebrate the art of the cinema… The Ecumenical Film Jury will watch this year’s festival with close attention… It has to cope with quite a workload. I wish the jury good luck and staying power in its efforts…”
(Ecumenical Jury members from left to right: Magali Van Reeth (France), Milan Simacek (Czech Republic), Wolfgang Hussmann (Germany), Julia Helmke - Jury President (Germany), Yours truly, Alina Birzache (Romania)
