Wiesbaden/Frankfurt, 16 April 2025
How did the idea for goEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Film come about?
goEast was the result of different factors. In the late 1990s, the accession negotiations for EU enlargement to the East were taking place, which definitely triggered anxiety on all sides. The mood in society wasn’t a positive one. Interest in cinematic art from Central and Eastern Europe had also declined, and there were no longer any film series featuring these countries that were funded, like the ones that had been organised by Deutsches Filminstitut up through the end of the 1980s, until the end of the Cold War. We wanted to build on our previous work and at the same time do something to counter this rejection of the topic, this political disinterest. Curiosity, culture, bridge-building, current affairs and history, a film festival with all the trimmings.
What were the early years characterised by?
On the cultural side of things, they were characterised by a strong sense of a fresh start. On the political side, but also the economic one, by optimism. Back then, it was possible to talk about a common European “house” or home and include Russia. Unthinkable today.
Who, or what institutions, supported you? What obstacles did you have to overcome?
There was a certain momentum already due to the factors I mentioned and there weren’t really any obstacles. The State Capital Wiesbaden, the State of Hessen, the Federal Government, but also the non-profit Hertie Foundation, Leo Kirch’s company, arte, 3Sat, Goethe-Institut and many others were actively involved. Not that it wasn’t hard work, but looking back it is just amazing how fast we were able to secure funding for the new festival.
At some point, the international (and very successful) theatre biennial “New European Plays” was discontinued. Was goEast ever at risk of experiencing a similar fate? From time to time, there have been attempts to impose the opinion that Europe has become unified enough and that the work of cultural mediation needn’t be pursued with the same intensity.
Yes, this opinion was definitely present, but that was quite some time ago. Even if you define Europe in a narrow way, meaning as the area within the borders of today’s EU, you can’t claim that the arduous process of growing together has been completed. Not to mention the geopolitical situation.
What has been your perception of the festival’s development over the past 25 years?
goEast is a mirror, more than we could suspect back then, a mirror for the developments in Central and Eastern Europe, for the relationships to Western Europe and vice versa. The economic, cultural and political situation in the individual countries – you can experience it all in the films, co-operations, encounters and conversations at goEast. And this situation has always left its mark on the festival, from the confidence of the initial period, to the years of supposed normality, all the way to war. At the very first edition of goEast in 2001, 1st prize was shared by a film from Poland and a work directed by a Ukrainian filmmaker, the Symposium was devoted to Russia’s conflicts in the Caucasus, in the Student Competition the audience chose the film academy from Prague and not the one from Moscow. For us today, such things are more explosive in nature, which is why there is a heavier burden of responsibility weighing on those who organise the festival nowadays.
Your favourite moments?
Late evenings in the Festival Centre, someone’s playing the piano, a stimulating but relaxed conversation with a director and then something like an intuitive understanding that everything is still going to turn out alright. Somehow. Hopefully.
DFF’s image at the management level has been characterised by female presence, which applies to goEast as well. Is this a matter of course or pretty hard-won territory instead?
Let’s not kid ourselves: culture is a field that can also be left to women without a fight. On top of that though, women are frequently better in this field. There’s been a woman at the helm of DFF since 1997, a line that will happily be extended now by Christine Kopf, and since 2001 there’s been a woman at the helm of goEast, where Heleen Gerritsen is now passing the baton to Rebecca Heiler. I’m very glad to see that, as it is an excellent pre-condition for further success.
What is your favourite festival?
For many, many years it was Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna.
What are you especially looking forward to at this year’s goEast?
I will undoubtedly think back to the first edition at the 25th edition of goEast. Which also includes remembering those who are no longer with us but were so massively significant: Swetlana Sikora, the artistic director, and Hans-Joachim Schlegel, the director of the Symposium. However, they would never have had anything against celebrating this anniversary. And I’m looking forward to doing just that.
*Marta Moneva spoke with Claudia Dillmann