DEMOKRATIE ERZÄHLEN

TELLING THE STORY OF DEMOCRACY

How Moving Images Shape Democratic Public Discourse

In cooperation with MMC Studios and FILM FESTIVAL COLOGNE

Democracy thrives on stories—and the question of which stories we tell is more important today than ever before. Film, television, streaming, and social media shape how we perceive our society, which voices are heard, and how public debates emerge. This is precisely where our conference TELLING DEMOCRACY comes in: On Tuesday, September 15, it will bring together leading figures from politics and the media, as well as from the film, television, production, documentary, and creator communities, at the Filmpalast Köln.

Sven Lehmann, Chair of the Committee on Culture and Media in the German Bundestag, will open the conference with a socio-political keynote address. To round off the high-profile event, Nathanael Liminski, Minister of Media and Head of the State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia, will discuss the future of democratic storytelling alongside other distinguished guests. By participating, both underscore the high social relevance of the question of how moving images shape our democratic public sphere.

Also in attendance will be numerous prominent filmmakers and media professionals who will enrich the program with their perspectives and expertise. Panels, keynote speeches, and presentations will explore the question of what stories our society needs today and what responsibilities are associated with storytelling.

Moderator: Wolfgang Link, producer, Cologne

10:00 – 10:05 a.m., Welcome

10:05 – 10:25 a.m., Sociopolitical Keynote

What Stories Does a Democratic Society Need?

Sven Lehmann, Chair of the Committee on Culture and Media in the German Bundestag

10:25 – 10:45 a.m., Keynote

Who Actually Tells the Story of Our Society Today? Creators and Their Role in the Democratic Public Sphere

Sebastian Niemann, Founder, FÜR UNS

10:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Panel

Telling the Story of Reality: Documentary Film, Memory, and Responsibility

Melanie Andernach, film producer and screenwriter
Volker Heise, director and producer
Christiane Hinz, Head of WDR Documentary Board / ARTE & International, WDR

11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m., Break

12:00 – 1:00 p.m., Presentations

Stories That Bring Reality to Life

Jean-Christoph Caron, Head of Documentary, ZDF/ARTE Geopolitics & Contemporary History
Birgit Schulz, Producer and Managing Director, Bildersturm Filmproduktion 
Ümit Uludağ and Erik Winker, Producers and Managing Directors, CORSO Film

1:00 – 2:00 p.m., Lunch break

2:00 – 2:45 p.m., Panel

Narrating Society: Fiction Between Reality, Identity, and Responsibility

Ester Amrami, director and screenwriter
Henriette Lippold, producer, UFA MITTE
Kida Khodr Ramadan, actor and producer

2:45 – 3:45 p.m., Presentations

Fiction with a Stance: When Stories Change Perspectives

Dr. Alice Brauner, journalist, film producer, and managing director, CCC Filmkunst 

Esra and Patrick Phul, film directors, screenwriters, and producers 

Michael Souvignier, producer and managing director, Zeitsprung Pictures

3:45 – 4:15 p.m., Break

4:15 – 5:00 p.m., Closing Panel

The Future of Democratic Storytelling

Bettina Brokemper, producer and managing director, Heimatfilm 

Ingmar Cario, Acting Head of Programming for News, Fiction, and Entertainment, WDR 

Sabine de Mardt, Producer and Managing Director, Gaumont Germany
Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Affairs, and Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Head of the State Chancellery 


* TBD