Initiatives of Change - Premiere of Der Imam und der Pastor in Berlin

The production of the trilingual DVD (English, German and French) was possible thanks to a joint venture between FLTfilms, the German IofC team, the Evangelisches Zentrum für entwicklungsbezogene Filmarbeit (EZEF) and different media professionals.

Music at Premiere of Der Imam und der Pastor in Berlin

Musicians Uwe Steinmetz and Paul Agbih (Photo: Maria Grace)

The premiere took place in the Werkstatt der Kulturen (intercultural center) in Berlin-Neukölln, a district where a high percentage of the population is Turkish.

The musicians Uwe Steinmetz (Germany) and Paul Agbih (Nigeria/Germany) opened the evening.

The film created quite an emotional response from the audience. This was expressed in words of appreciation and in the conversations that followed: the honesty of the protagonists concerning their weaknesses and tensions and the way that they dealt with them.

The panel at the Premiere of Der Imam und der Pastor in Berlin

Panel members at the premiere (Photo: Maria Grace)

The moderator, Pastor Helmut Michel, introduced the debate by saying: 'The main thing I learned tonight is that when I have a dispute and would like to kill the other person, I’d better tell him ''I need your help!''.' What followed was a lively conversation between the audience and the British guests but also among the audience itself.

For the last part of the evening a Nigerian cook and a Senegalese student had prepared African dishes and refreshments. This was the occasion for more personal talks and for planning the future use of the film. An invitation was extended by representatives of a Muslim association to show the film in different mosques.

Concrete plans for the visit of Imam Muhammad Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye in Berlin (11-13 June) are in progress.

Ragna Reuter and Nicole Thieke

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