Welcome
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas at the Jewish Film Festival
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas will be presenting the documentary “Kishon” today (28 June) at the Filmkunst 66 cinema in Berlin as part of the Jewish Film Festival Berlin & Brandenburg. The film’s producer, Arik Bernstein, as well as relatives of Ephraim Kishon – his son Rafi Kishon and his granddaughter Gaya – will be attending the screening. The film portrays the life and work of the Israeli satirist Ephraim Kishon (1924 – 2005).
Foreign Minister Maas has issued the following statement:
The Jewish Film Festival provides a showcase in Berlin for Jewish film‑making from Israel, Germany and around the world. It builds bridges and – as this year’s focus on Israel shows – is an indispensable part of the lively and creative exchange between Israel and Germany. Even 70 years after the State of Israel was founded, this exchange cannot be taken for granted. Rather, it is something for which I am grateful.
Ephraim Kishon made a very special contribution with his works, his subtle sense of humour and his excellent powers of observation. He extended the hand of reconciliation to us Germans following the crimes of the Shoah. We must take an unequivocal stance against all forms of anti‑Semitism. Anti‑Semitic provocations and hostility must never again gain a foothold – either in Germany or anywhere else.
Background information:
The 24th Jewish Film Festival Berlin & Brandenburg (JFBB) is taking place from 26 June to 5 July 2018. The JFBB shows Israeli productions as well as German and international films which focus on Jewish life around the world. The Federal Foreign Office funds the participation of international film‑makers in the festival.
The documentary “Kishon” looks at the life and work of the Israeli satirist Ephraim Kishon (1924 – 2005), who was born in Hungary and was especially successful in the German-speaking world. It is a call for reconciliation, understanding and dialogue.