Afro-German Film Collective Publishes Open Letter Raising Concerns About “Anti-Black” Berlin Film Festival Movies

Zac Ntim
·4 min read

A collective of Afro-German filmmakers and industry professionals have published an open letter raising concerns about what they have described as the selection of “anti-Black” films at the recent Berlin Film Festival.

The group, represented under the title Schwarze Filmschaffende, which loosely translates to Black Filmmakers, identifies three Berlinale titles — Measures of Men, Seneca, and Helt Super! — as projects that depict, amplify, or peddle anti-Black sentiments.

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The letter is addressed to the German Minister for Culture and Media, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media, Berlinale artistic directors Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian, and the German Film Academy.

Opening the letter, the group note that they not only aim to “denounce the existence and handling of these offensive, racist films” but also want to challenge the “systemic errors and the structural anti-Black racism embedded in the German film ecosystem.”

“As Black Europeans, we are therefore deeply concerned and affected by the selection, endorsement, and support of these three anti-Black films, two of which are German (co-)productions, which were (co-)financed by German film funds, nominated by the German Film Academy and finally selected and shown at the latest 73rd edition of the Berlinale,” the letter reads.

Schwarze Filmschaffende dedicates lengthy portions of the letter to highlighting the exact moments in all three films that they say raise deep cause for concern. In Seneca, the John Malkovich-starrer based on the life of the Roman philosopher, the group cites the film’s use of racial slurs and “crude” violence against Black children as a cinematic practice that leads to the “desensitization of white audiences towards Black bodies and renders for Black audiences the viewing experience unbearable and traumatizing.”

Measures of Men, a historical drama about a series of genocides committed by German forces in colonial Africa, is accused of “dehumanizing” Black people while eschewing parts of German colonial history. Helt Super is challenged for including “anti-Black racist tropes of Blackface and animalization.” The Norwegian animated film was previously the subject of headlines when its Berlinale premiere was canceled after ARTEF, a European Anti-Racism task force, raised concerns with festival organizers. The film had been set to debut in Berlin’s Generation sidebar. Later screenings went ahead in Berlin, and the film’s producers, along with their sales agent, TrustNordisk, and the Norwegian Film Institute, signed a letter objecting to ARTEF’s concerns.

“We support the work of addressing institutional racism in the European film industry and identifying problems within the industry, but we strongly object to the concerns in the letter from Artef and have been adamant in our view that Just Super should be screened as announced – without interference – and are relieved to see that this now happens,” the joint statement said.

Deadline has reached out to the Berlin Film Festival and producers for all three projects for comment.

In response, Helt Super producer Stian Tveiten said: “Helt Super is a film that promotes a positive message, emphasizing that everyone is super just as they are. The film was very well received by both the audience and the critics in its domestic launch. It has been accepted to several prestigious festivals and won the audience award at the junior edition of Tromso International Film Festival in September 2022, as well as the Norwegian cinema award “the Silver Nugget” in March 2023. We support the work of addressing institutional racism in the European film industry, but we strongly object to the allegations of racism in Helt Super.”

Ending the open letter, the group listed 17 demands, including a public apology from senior leadership at the Berlinale and additional financial resources from government to increase anti-discrimination, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility provisions.

“These demands aim at preventing racism in film,” the letter reads. “They aim at stimulating interest and awareness around lived realities of Black people as well as lived realities of underrepresented voices and their contributions to society.”

Schwarze Filmschaffende, founded by actor-writer Marie-Noel, represents 600 Black film professionals, including actors, writers, and producers from across German-speaking Europe. The group told Deadline that they conducted a meeting with Berlinale heads Carlo Chatrian and Mariëtte Rissenbeek on April 19, which was attended by members from ARTEF and the Initiative Schwarzer Menschen, one of the oldest Afro-German organizations. Rissenbeek committed to raising the demands of the letter with the International Federation of Film Producers (FIAPF) at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, the group said.

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