European way of life
Existential values as represented by the European Union: respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, respect for human rights
We remember: the writer Stefan Zweig left his native Austria in 1933/34. In exile, he wrote works such as “Die Welt von gestern” and “Schachnovelle”. In a letter on April 15, 1933, he wrote: “I have the strongest aversion to becoming an emigrant [...] because I know that all emigration is dangerous; it makes those who stay behind hostages and makes their lives more difficult.”
After years in London, he tried to make a new start in Brazil from 1941 - in vain. But even if his vision of a “better” Europe went unheard, there was hardly a more ardent European than Stefan Zweig.
Europe is anything but an “innocent continent”. It is no coincidence that the filmmaker Raoul Peck used the keywords of civilization, colonization and annihilation to describe the history of the European continent. While one might have hoped that the horrors of many centuries had been (self-)critically recognized, Vladimir Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine taught us otherwise: On the morning of February 24, 2022, the European peace order lay in ruins.
Even today, the hope remains that democracy and self-determination will continue to be the guiding principles of European action. Rarely have the values represented by the European Union been so existential: “respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.”
In view of the current dramatic changes in the world order, European filmmaking could also gain cultural strength and identity. Many films from the countries of Europe have always been encouraging in this respect - they may be seen in a different, new light today.
European way of life
Existential values as represented by the European Union: respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, respect for human rights
We remember: the writer Stefan Zweig left his native Austria in 1933/34. In exile, he wrote works such as “Die Welt von gestern” and “Schachnovelle”. In a letter on April 15, 1933, he wrote: “I have the strongest aversion to becoming an emigrant [...] because I know that all emigration is dangerous; it makes those who stay behind hostages and makes their lives more difficult.”
After years in London, he tried to make a new start in Brazil from 1941 - in vain. But even if his vision of a “better” Europe went unheard, there was hardly a more ardent European than Stefan Zweig.
Europe is anything but an “innocent continent”. It is no coincidence that the filmmaker Raoul Peck used the keywords of civilization, colonization and annihilation to describe the history of the European continent. While one might have hoped that the horrors of many centuries had been (self-)critically recognized, Vladimir Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine taught us otherwise: On the morning of February 24, 2022, the European peace order lay in ruins.
Even today, the hope remains that democracy and self-determination will continue to be the guiding principles of European action. Rarely have the values represented by the European Union been so existential: “respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.”
In view of the current dramatic changes in the world order, European filmmaking could also gain cultural strength and identity. Many films from the countries of Europe have always been encouraging in this respect - they may be seen in a different, new light today.