Claudia Roth and Mariette Rissenbeek Lay Down the Law as Political Speeches Dominate Berlin Opening Ceremony: ‘Hatred Is Not on Our Guest List’
variety.comBerlinale. They followed a red carpet that mixed demonstrations and high style over a more than two-hour stretch. Festival co-chief Mariëtte Rissenbeek felt it necessary to address head on the festival’s recent controversy over invitations to five far-right (AfD) members of the German parliament.
The invitations were subsequently canceled, but the backlash has scarcely subsided. “The Berlinale has a lot of space for dialog.
Between people and for art, but it has no space for hatred. Hatred is not on our guest list. It won’t be invited,” Rissenbeek said. “Many people in the Berlinale team, many of our friends or acquaintances are affected by the intentions of the right wing AfD their intention to deport people with a migrant background from the country.
They want to throw them out. And that is something that we cannot or will not tolerate as a festival is a party that says that’s anti-democratic and discriminatory. “And they say well, we can do that because we’re democratically elected.
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