12 January 2022

The Akademie der Künste welcomes the Berlinale’s decision to take place as a physical event

Akademie President Jeanine Meerapfel endorses the Berlinale’s decision announced today as an important signal for filmmakers and cinema in this country and beyond:

“We need this space of discourse, and I am looking forward to the encounters with films. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Akademie der Künste has advocated giving priority to art and culture in the development of opening policies, devising effective hygiene measures and supporting the independent scene as best it can. Despite the rising incidence rates, the cultural institutions remain open while taking all precautionary measures. The experience of culture and artistic output are of inestimable value for our social cohesion. For films (and for the Berlinale), the audience’s presence is the all-important prerequisite. Films need the cinema and the audience needs the big screen. Only then does film come alive. The shared experience and respectful interaction go hand in hand – perhaps more so in current times than ever before.”

This year once again, the Akademie der Künste is the venue for the Berlinale. A film-related Academy Discussion will take place shortly before the festival opens: On 8 February 2022 at 7 pm, filmmaker Jeanine Meerapfel will talk to guests from the film industry about the presence and the marketing of German film abroad. The talk is planned as a face-to-face event in compliance with all hygiene regulations.