As
head of the Austrian coalition government, Dr Wolfgang Schüssel,
of the Austrian People's Party, and his ruling partner,
chairman of the Austrian Freedom Party, Dr Jörg Haider,
affirm that they are committed to Austria's future in Europe,
Austrian film-makers are taking vigorous exception to the
inclusion of the right-wing party in the administration.
"Austria,
as a stable and reliable country, will make her contribution
in partnership for a peaceful and secure life together in
Europe and the world," concluded Schüssel and Haider
in a full-page ad in the International Herald Tribune (Tuesday,
8 February), where they published the preamble to the coalition
programme of the two political parties.
"No
we cannot permit it in Austria and do not want it
in Europe," is the answer from 200 Austrian film-makers
and industry professionals, who are taking out a page in
Moving Pictures at the Berlinale (Saturday, 12 February).
"Racism, xenophobia and disrespect for human dignity. Playing
down our National-Socialist past. Anti-European provincialism.
Defaming members of the cultural
sector. Such ideas are in flagrant opposition to our convictions."
At
the EFM, one of the signatories Martin Schweighofer,
md of the Austrian Film Commission said he had
signed "not for the commission, but as a private person,"
because he would not meet the international film industry
in Berlin and pretend it was business as usual. "We had
to make the statement to point out that this is not a
development we want to identify with," he explained.
"It
has nothing to do with the fact that there are no socialist
parties in the present Austrian government. But we strongly
oppose the fact that there is a party in office which
stands for attitudes which we should neither accept in
Austria nor in Europe. It is important that people understand
there is also a protest in Austria against this coalition."
At
the Berlin market, sales agent Brussels Ave is touting
Austrian director Helmut Grasser's 1993 documentary, Die
Wahlkämpfer (The Campaigner: Jörg
Haider), in an updated version. Rather than focusing on
FPÖ leader Haider's charisma, the film looks at the
voters who made his triumph possible.
Jørn
Rossing Jensen
