An ecumenical movie jury is extremely regarded in Cannes

DOMRADIO.DE: The ecumenical jury award went to the movie “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”. It’s a movie by Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof that tells the story of an investigative choose in Iran. What makes it so worthy of an award?

Alexander Bothe (Movie Commissioner of the German Catholic Bishops’ Convention): This film is a particular, very highly effective film. A movie that makes you suppose how a lot it touches you in its tender moments.

It is a few household drama in Iran. On the similar time, the household all the time serves as an allegory for what’s within the system, for what faith can do with political energy and patriarchy, for higher or worse. This mixture of, on the one hand, being delicate and noting it time and again after which, however, sending very highly effective and robust indicators and connecting it to all about what occurred to this household you’ll be able to’t depart you. chilly That is why we determined to label this movie as a metaphor for any authoritarian democracy, if you’ll.

DOMRADIO.DE: The ecumenical jury not solely honored a movie, but additionally a director. Wim Wenders obtained the honorary award for his life’s work. For what purpose?

Cottage: Wim Wenders stands for a cinema that’s all the time open to the transcendent degree of life, to every thing that goes past. However, it stands for openness, for the torn nature of individuals. At all times carried by hope, by what’s inside him, by longing, and on the similar time by the break that additionally carries worry and nervousness with it. His movie nonetheless carries me by way of the entire 12 months: “Good Days” from final 12 months, which was additionally nominated for an Oscar.

This film has a major character – for many who have not seen it, take be aware – who works as a rest room cleaner in Tokyo. This major character has a behavior of all the time wanting on the sky when he leaves the home.

And all of it relies on whether or not it’s merely opening as much as the nice issues of the day, whether or not however it could be the enjoyment of the creation of the world or simply the view above, which maybe reminding me personally of the Creator. and within the God who carries me. That’s precisely what Wim Wenders affords; he creates areas as maybe no chief of our time.

And however, he’s somebody who very, very, very, very a lot appreciates what the ecumenical jury means, what values ​​are represented. He reveals how necessary that is to him when he stated in his acceptance speech: I all the time take a look at what the ecumenical jury says to grasp the temperature of a competition or the dynamics of a competition.

So on the one hand it was our eyes to heaven, with him when you like, and however his respectful and grateful assertion in regards to the jury. So we could not do something however honor Wim Wenders.

DOMRADIO.DE: The general public believes that the church has a smaller position in society. What’s the impact of the ecumenical jury award?

Cottage: I can say for Cannes that I used to be moved and impressed by the significance given to the jury and its custom. As we all know, the earlier weekend was Pentecost, which we celebrated. Posters have been then hung in each church. I used to be on the Pentecost service and I used to be moved by the truth that there was a big poster for annually, which was given by the person causes.

We additionally bought to know the significance of the jury on the reception of the mayor of Cannes, who stated: “In fact since you ask about values, simply since you ask what’s greater than the person and what defines our neighborhood, you contribute to democracy and in addition contribute to participation.”

This appreciation sums up effectively the chance and potential energy for us as church buildings in highlighting movies, celebrating them and generally maybe bringing one thing into the a lightweight that doesn’t but have the distinctive look it may need. These tales simply be certain that they carry us by way of our lives and might be certain that cohesion in our society turns into stronger once more. I feel that is what all of us want particularly.

DOMRADIO.DE: How is the ecumenical jury made up and the way laborious do you combat for the awards?

Cottage: On the one hand, the jury is made up of individuals positioned by the Worldwide Affiliation for Communication on the Catholic aspect of “Signis”. On the opposite aspect there’s a associate known as “Interfilm” on the Protestant aspect. These two world associations then ship particular individuals, from their perspective, with qualification, ready who’re linked to movie as critics, as filmmakers, as an establishment, no matter. And accordingly, the views are offered by the assorted professions solely.

Then there are wild conversations. It’s also thrilling to see how the problem of claiming, on the one hand, {that a} story is especially shifting is being overcome. Or I see moments full of sunshine right here which are attention-grabbing, that I wish to protect, that I wish to preserve going.

However, it is about not baptizing a movie forcefully. It isn’t about studying into one thing the movie is not actually about or about. For every thing, the creative high quality of the movie is the primary requirement. Is that this the sort that appeals to you? Is it that it touches on the query of values ​​after which maybe the query of the connection with the Gospel, with the message that carries us all? And if that is all surrounded by this query, which actually worries us from the primary second of our humanity, that we’re all photographs. That is how God says for us from the start: To any extent further you’re inventive, inform this reality that it’s yours. In a particular means, this comes again in these fantastic moments within the films. Then you possibly can say some house and time. And we really feel that it’s about bringing this reality to mild and explaining it.

The interview was carried out by Heike Sicconi.