Dieter Kosslick’s Bold New Mission: Merging Film and Climate Action!

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Dieter Kosslick may no longer be in the spotlight at Berlinale, but his passion for films and the environment remains undiminished. As the leader of a new festival, he is merging these two interests with the aim of addressing the climate crisis and promoting greater sustainability for a more promising future.

Kosslick was chosen by the city of Potsdam to lead the upcoming second edition of the Green Visions Potsdam festival, which debuted last year and runs from May 22nd to 25th this time around.

Following his resignation as the Berlinale director, Kosslick has found tranquility in his new chapter by embarking on a personal project – authoring a memoir.

Kosslick explains to EbMaster that the process was effortless as he had been working on his autobiography, a project which consumed an entire year. He found it enjoyable and therapeutic, serving as both the counselor and the patient in this self-exploration.

In contrast to Freud’s approach, my method involves you sitting in a chair while typing, whereas with Freud, you would be asked to recline on a sofa.

The title of his memoir, “Always Keep Your Feet on the Ground,” signifies the importance of staying humble, even after 19 years as a film festival director, when it’s easy to lose sight of what humility truly means.

Although he was thrilled to have completed his book, a blend of autobiography, Berlinale recollections, and contemplations about the future of eco-cinema, the pandemic unfortunately thwarted his plans for a nationwide bookstore tour scheduled for 2021.

Luckily, Kosslick discovered a suitable replacement for his original plan: “Instead of visiting bookstores, we opted to embark on a cinema tour! We launched a tour across 50 German cinemas. Thus, I read in cinemas rather than bookstores.

As a dedicated cinephile, I was honored when the esteemed city of Potsdam entrusted me with the task of curating a film festival centered around the pressing issue of climate change.

Kosslick points out that while Potsdam is well-known as a movie production hub, it’s equally significant as a major center for climate research. In fact, this city houses the globally recognized Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

Kosslick collaborated with PR expert Nikola Mirza to develop the idea for the festival, eventually leading to its creation as Green Visions Potsdam.

Under the guidance of curator Karen Arikian, last year’s festival kicked off featuring the German debuts of Mahalia Belo’s survival thriller “The End We Start From,” starring Jodie Comer, Jean-Albert Lièvre’s documentary “Whale Nation,” and Robert Kenner and Melissa Robledo’s documentary “Food, Inc. 2.”

Last year, Karen Arikian as the curator led the festival with the initial screenings being the German premieres of Mahalia Belo’s survival thriller “The End We Start From” featuring Jodie Comer, Jean-Albert Lièvre’s documentary “Whale Nation,” and Robert Kenner and Melissa Robledo’s documentary “Food, Inc. 2.”

Green Visions is set to unveil this year’s lineup in March.

Similar to how Berlinale hosts a film market, Green Visions features a farmers’ market. Instead of showcasing films, this market displays eco-friendly products from local vendors. Situated outside the Potsdam Film Museum, it serves as a gathering spot for festival attendees and provides educational events on sustainable living (notably, Germany’s oldest film museum lies within Potsdam’s oldest building, a Baroque-style structure that dates back to 1685).

For Kosslick, prioritizing climate and environmental preservation has been a long-standing commitment. Under his guidance, the Berlinale was the first festival worldwide to run entirely on green energy, following eco-energy provider Entega’s sponsorship in 2011. It was Germany’s Institute for Applied Ecology that began calculating the Berlinale’s carbon footprint in 2010, a preliminary step that paved the way for implementing numerous additional green measures.

That particular year, the organizers of the Berlinale and Entega constructed an artwork in Berlin’s Tiergarten park, intending to raise awareness about forest conservation and combat climate change. Designed to resemble the iconic Hollywood sign, it displayed the word “Holywood.” Unfamiliar with the meaning behind this spelling, staff at the neighboring U.S. Embassy contacted festival director Kosslick to inform him that “Hollywood” had been misspelled.

Initially, it was quite challenging when we began, Kosslick admits, because festivals were making numerous mistakes – excessive travel, consuming copious amounts of meat (often low-quality), wasteful use of food and resources, reliance on cars and paper, and a demand for constant electricity. However, over the course of ten years, this movement significantly progressed. By the time I departed from Berlinale, it was already leading the way in these areas. We phased out nuclear power, eliminated meat consumption, and everyone criticized me heavily at first, but now we’re all vegan. It wasn’t just my decision; my colleagues at Berlinale were forward-thinking as well, pioneering changes ahead of their time in this regard.

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2025-02-17 13:46