Most recent articles by René Wildangel
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Germanyʹs Islam debateThe need to meet Islam critics head on
At a recent Berlin event, researchers talked about how to achieve a more nuanced discussion on Islam and Muslims. Were academics more proactive about presenting their empirical findings in the public arena, Rene Wildangel argues, they could play a major role in countering populist disinformation
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Berlinale 2019: Hassan Faziliʹs "Midnight Traveler"That our voices wonʹt be silenced
Threatened with death by the Taliban, director Hassan Fazili fled to Europe with his family, filming their odyssey on his mobile phone. Itʹs not the first time that the refugee trek to Europe has been documented, yet the result is a film that not only serves as a political chronicle of our time, but is also a work of art. By Rene Wildangel
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Berlinale 2019: Marwa Zein's "Khartoum Offside"Football, film and freedom in Sudan
Marwa Zein has made an impressive documentary about the Sudanese women's football team, if only the national football association would recognise it as such. The players are neither allowed to represent their country at international level nor set up a domestic women's football league. By Rene Wildangel
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Berlinale 2019: "Fortschritt im Tal der Ahnungslosen"Questing for a lost homeland
In the "Valley of the Clueless" in Saxony, where Arab contract workers were once employed alongside GDR factory workers, East Germans and refugees meet for a peculiar trip down memory lane. Rene Wildangel reports from this year's Berlinale
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Germany's identity crisisGundogan and Ozil are not the problem!
The criticism of Ilkay Gundogan and Mesut Ozil for meeting with Erdogan is justified, but the debate is about more than just human rights in Turkey. The real question is: how diverse does Germany want to be? Essay by Rene Wildangel
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Berlinale 2018: "What Walaa wants"Against all the odds
Director Christy Garland's documentary, "What Walaa wants", which premiered at this year's Berlinale International Film Festival, tells the story of a young rebellious Palestinian woman who overcomes prejudice and adversity to pursue her wish to become a police officer with the Palestinian Authority. By Rene Wildangel
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Berlinale 2018: ″Central Airport THF″ by Karim AinouzLives lived in waiting
″Central Airport THF″, the new documentary by Karim Ainouz intentionally turns the focus away from the image of refugees as victims. He is far more interested in how, under adverse circumstances, life endures in an atmosphere of waiting. By Rene Wildangel
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Merzak Allouache′s ″Tahqiq fel djenna″Seventy two grapes
In his film ″Tahqiq fel Djenna″ (Investigating Paradise), which was awarded the Panorama 2017 prize at this year′s Berlinale, Merzak Allouache investigates the sexualised idea of Paradise as spread by Salafist preachers. By Rene Wildangel
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Raed Andoni's "Ghost Hunting" at the BerlinaleThe ghosts that lurk
Raed Andoni's film functions as both trauma therapy and as an opportunity to discuss the political problem of prisoners. First and foremost, though, the film works as an impressive piece of cinematography dealing with the basic questions of the human condition. By Rene Wildangel
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Sara Taksler′s documentary ″Tickling Giants″Running the satirical gauntlet
His cutting humour led to Bassem Youssef becoming a comedy star throughout the Arab world in the wake of the Arab Spring in Egypt. Yet, the spring of freedom was short-lived: by the end of 2013, his popular show was abruptly cancelled. An American documentary film portrays the legendary satirist. By Rene Wildangel
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Middle East policy under Donald TrumpReturn of the dictators
Just how the Trump administration will handle the thorny issue of the Middle East remains to be seen. Trump's policy of non-intervention and "pragmatic" alliances with authoritarian rulers is, however, likely to encourage the return of repressive dictatorships, lending them apparent respectability in exchange for guarantees of stability. By Rene Wildangel
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"Raving Iran" - a film documentaryAgents provocateurs
The film "Raving Iran" tells the story of the Iranian DJ combo "Blade & Beard". Anoosh and Arash produce house music and organise wild parties in Tehran and other more isolated locations in Iran. By Rene Wildangel