A youthful crowd of industry professionals filed into a bustling room at the Gropius Bau Saturday afternoon for the inaugural AfroBerlin symposium here at the Berlin Film Festival.
Among the speakers were outgoing Berlinale co-head Mariette Rissenbeek, NEOM’s Wayne Borg, and Yolonda Ncokotwana, Head of Industry Development National Film & Video Foundation South Africa. The event also saw the first public discussion featuring the Schwarze Filmschaffende, the Black German Filmmakers Association.
The association first made waves following the conclusion of last year’s Berlinale after they published a lengthy open letter that criticized the festival for programming three films that it said “depict, amplify, or peddle anti-Black sentiments.” The group was also central to this year’s campaign against the festival’s controversial opening ceremony invitations to members of the far-right AfD political party. Despite its recent visibility, the group actually dates back to 2015.
“I started acting school in Vienna in a very white space. I didn’t see any black filmmakers on TV or in the media, but I just couldn’t believe that I was the only one who wanted to become an actor in a German-speaking country,” association board member Marie-Noel said on the panel.
“Through a friend who was also at acting school, I met another Black actor called Jerry, and together we decided to create a Facebook group and just invited anybody we knew. So that’s how we started. As a small Facebook group with 50-60 people.”
Following the publication of last year’s letter, the association has been in constant discussion with German film institutions on how to pull the industry forward, board member Benita Sarah Bailey told the panel.
“It’s a lot of work behind the scenes that enables a lot of change,” Bailey said.
“Lupita is here not by accident, people,” she added, suggesting that the group’s work was central to the festival choosing Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o as international jury president.
However, while Marie-Noel and Bailey say the group has made great strides in the past year, their relationship with the institutions of the German-speaking world has not been “easy.”
“We’ve been trying to get them to have us more involved,” Bailey said in specific reference to Berlinale leadership, who she said has been largely unresponsive to their concerns and suggestions.
“This year’s selection, for example, is very similar to past years. I don’t see that much change apart from the jury president. So, to be honest, we are waiting for the new leadership to see any change because there needs to be a willingness and effort.”
She added: “We need a new leadership, which is happening.”
Former London Film Festival head Tricia Tuttle takes over from co-heads Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian following this year’s edition, and Bailey said the group is already in contact with Tuttle, who has been covertly present at this year’s festival.
“I met her at the Berlinale opening gala and invited her to our BIPOC alliance panel at the Fotografiska Berlin,” Bailey said.
We were present at the BIPOC alliance panel this afternoon in Berlin, and Tuttle was introduced to the crowd, who gave the incoming fest director a lengthy and hearty applause.
“She’s definitely interested in getting to know all the communities,” Bailey said of Tuttle.
“It’s a good sign.”
The Berlin Film Festival runs until February 25.
