Martin Scorsese
Star director folds Claudia Roth
Director Martin Scorsese finds Claudia Roth’s decision to direct the Berlinale “harmful.”
© imago/Panama Pictures / imago/ABACAPRESS
International filmmakers, including director Martin Scorsese, are protesting against a planned change in leadership at the Berlinale.
More than 400 protagonists from the international film industry wrote an open letter to the Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth (68) turned to express her dissatisfaction with her decision to direct the Berlin International Film Festival in the future.
Roth had previously announced that the Berlinale would no longer be managed by a dual leadership team, but by a single person. For this reason, the contract of the film festival’s previous artistic director, Carlo Chatrian (51), will not be extended.
International film stars against Claudia Roth
The protest against this questionable measure was not long in coming: As Variety magazine reportsover 400 filmmakers have now signed an open letter to the German politician, in which they harshly criticized her decision.
There are numerous prominent names among the signatories: In addition to the legendary Hollywood director Martin Scorsese (80), Tilda Swinton (62), Kristen Stewart (33), Margarethe von Trotta (81) and the Austrian film star and cabaret artist Josef Hader also signed up (61) strongly supported the whereabouts of the Italian film critic Carlo Chatrian.
“Harmful, unprofessional and immoral”
The letter states: “We, a diverse group of filmmakers from all over the world who have great respect for the Berlin International Film Festival as a place for great cinema of all kinds, protest against the harmful, unprofessional and immoral behavior of Minister of State Claudia Roth, who forced the esteemed artistic director Carlo Chatrian to resign despite a promise to extend his contract.”
There are also calls for Chatrian’s term of office to be extended in order to “repair the damage done to this important film festival.” Roth’s demand for a “strong hand”, which the festival supposedly needs in the form of a single director, is “questionable and politically backwards”.
Who will take over the management of the Berlinale?
Chatrian’s co-director Mariëtte Rissenbeek (67) had already announced in March that she would not be extending her contract as managing director of the festival and would be leaving her position after the 74th Berlinale at the end of March 2024.
Before Chatrian and Rissenbeek took over the management as a duo, Dieter Kosslick (75) had directed the Berlin Film Festival alone for 18 years. The new director will now be chosen by a commission chaired by Claudia Roth.