by Hans Werner Dannowski

These times of financial bottlenecks are stormy times, not only in church, but also for the church’s cinematic work. Thus, we are alarmed by the news that the Catholic Church in Germany will reorganize its media work and reduce the cinematic work and, on top of this, it will cease publication of the journal "film-dienst“ in June, 2003. I am absolutely stunned about the carelessness and ignorance with which work will be given up that is approved worldwide, especially outside church. The „Lexikon des Internationalen Films“ developed out of the "film-dienst" work is unique. Everyone who takes over responsibility in cinematic work uses it without exception. The spirit of tackling something new, prevalent in the after-war years, seems to come to an end here and there; churches draw back into their ghettos. We have to realize again and again that the church’s cinematic work often lacks a lobby.

In that respect we often are better off with non-church institutions. At the Berlinale financial bottlenecks threatened to lame our support with its consequences being a reduction of personnel of the Ecumenical jury and other restrictions. A meeting was convened immediately, in which the director of the festival Dieter Kosslick participated as well as Werner Schneider and Robert Molhant from INTERFILM and SIGNIS respectively. There, however, a compromise could be found that enables us to carry on with our jury work. Further, this compromise implies a significance church might possibly gain when it comes to setting new directions within the Berlinale. Especially in situations of change, the church’s cinematic work is a searched for partner in dialogue. Thus, we can react only slowly and painfully upon wishes presented to us by different countries of East-Europe.

The turbulences in the Catholic film work could of course also be felt in the seminar held by SIGNIS (the new Catholic world organization that unites UNDA and OCIC), WACC and INTERFILM, within the frame of the film-festivals of Mannheim-Heidelberg. The topic was ,,(Dis)Regarding the Image“, focussing aesthetic and theological dimensions of image reception exemplified by current film language in the view of different church traditions. As was generally said, this was a very satisfying and successful event: The intensive talks after the four movies (Rosetta, Habla con Ella, Heaven, Der Felsen), two interesting speeches (Maggie Roux, Leeds and Boris Groys, Karlsruhe), one extensive conversation with the film producer Dominik Graf, that seemed to have been satisfying to him, too. All fitted well. The director of the Mannheim-Heidelberg festival, Michael Kötz, has supported the seminar as well as the church film work in an outstanding way.

I have recorded the results of the days of Mannheim for myself in a series of points. With a view to the cooperation of the Protestant and Catholic members in the Ecumenical juries of the different festivals, there is in the first place the actually expected, yet surprising statement: the confessional diversification in the domain of film does not exist any more. This holds for the film production and the reception. Surely, confessional backgrounds and traditions can be recognized many times. Surely there are critical points of different sources with regard to each church. But all this does not determine the whole impression, the aesthetic form and the content any more. The contrast between iconoclasts (reformation) and Ikonodoulen (catholicism) has almost become obsolete in the domain of film. Here, too, art is ahead of church. The force of the impulses that have wandered from the christian traditions into the film can be felt more and more. The change from religious into aesthetic impulses is fully under way. Naturally, this can be seen even more clearly in a forum of discussion that exclusively consists of church representatives.

One part of the impulses that represent the allegorical potential a film representation bears for theological interpretations is the inclusion of the question of truth into an open process. Truth can no longer be regarded as an item that is determined and defined on the long run. Instead, out of pictures, counter-pictures and after-pictures, bound to the characteristic style of elementary motion and narration, the character of truth as a way emerges that is tied to the timeliness of life. Therefore the eschatological outline of the christian belief has provided the decisive structures.

The impulse of the unconditioned, the experience of absoluteness of love that throws over anything, also is a religious element through and through. The omniscient narrator who iconographically transforms himself into the “divine look” (total) has become part of the film aesthetic rather than the theological dispute. Today the “close look” is often closer, following the protagonist step by step, sometimes perhaps recorded with a hand camera, unveiling with or without pity the lack of human relation as well as the longing for human relation. Truth reveals itself in closeness. The apocalyptic force of many films, the experience of contingency: especially on grounds of the rich experience of theological and philosophical tradition one can participate in never ending expeditions in search for truth by way of current films. The days of Mannheim were an important hallmark on this way for all those who took part. The discussion will and must go on. We hope INTERFILM will be able to provide a good contribution further on.

So I wish you all the best for the New Year, may 2003 bring health and many experiences to you, and may the dark clouds at the political sky that are frightening us in these months become a little lighter.

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Hans Werner Dannowski