10/02/2015 - The European network of regional film funds will raise awareness of the danger that Europe would face if the cultural exception were removed

The members of Cine-Regio are celebrating the fact that the total number of 26 feature films and five short films supported by them are part of this year’s Berlinale’s official selection. Six of those 26 are selected in the official competition for the Golden Bear: Andreas Dresen’s As We Were Dreaming [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Andreas Dresen
film profile], Laura Bispuri’s Sworn Virgin [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Laura Bispuri
film profile], Benoît Jacquot’s Diary of a Chambermaid [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Jayro Bustamante’s Ixcanul Volcano [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jayro Bustamante
film profile], Isabel Coixet’s Nobody Wants the Night [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Isabel Coixet
film profile] and Patricio Guzmán’s The Pearl Button [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]. Other films, such as Wim Wenders’ Every Thing Will Be Fine [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
film profile] and Oliver Hirschbiegel’s 13 Minutes [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (out of competition), Stina Werenfels’ Dora or the Sexual Neuroses of Our Parents [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stina Werenfels
film profile] (Panorama) and Sonja Heiss’ Hedi Schneider Is Stuck [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sonja Heiss
film profile] (Forum), have also been backed by regional film funds that are members of the network.

But at the same time, the members of Cine-Regio are worried about the future, owing to the ongoing EU-US free trade (TTIP) negotiations, where the American delegation has expressed a strong desire to put pressure on our national and local officials in an attempt to remove the cultural exception, and to flush Europe with US mainstream culture – covering everything from films to food. In order to succeed, the US lobbyists are therefore working hard for an annulment of the exceptions that protect regional diversity and identity in Europe. 

The cultural exception is our anchor to the history we are built on, and is rooted in our regional diversity and identity. It has never been challenged in EU policy-making before. Will this tradition change in 2015? At their meeting in Berlin today, the members of Cine-Regio decided to strengthen their efforts to raise awareness of the danger of Europe losing its identity. 

Find more information about Cine-Regio’s activities on their website.