The “Waves of Freedom” Film Festival, organized by the Ministry of Culture, the Cultural Division of the Representative Office in Germany, the Stasi Archives in Germany, and the Robert Havemann Association, took place at the Stasimuseum, Campus für Demokratie in Berlin, Germany. This is the first film festival in Germany dedicated to the democratic movements in Taiwan and Hong Kong, held at a location that was once a government institution for surveillance and oppression in East Germany. The event coincided with the 62nd anniversary of the construction of the Berlin Wall on August 13th, adding significance to the dialogue on transitional justice between Taiwan and Germany.
The festival showcased the struggles of the people in Taiwan and Hong Kong for democracy and freedom through documentaries, feature films, and virtual reality films, providing an accessible analysis of the democratic processes in both places. The event will also feature a dialogue between Singing Chen (陳芯宜) and Chan Tze-woon (陳梓桓), the director of “Blue Island (憂鬱之島),” and Marko Martin, a German writer who hails from East Germany and has long been concerned with the situations in Taiwan and Hong Kong, creating anticipation among Berlin film enthusiasts.
The festival was curated by Taiwan’s Lin Chieh-ying (林婕穎) and Hong Kong’s Cheung Ka Wan (張嘉芸). With the curatorial concept of “breaking censorship and longing for freedom,” it highlighted the idea that the people’s aspirations for freedom are like the ocean tides. The curatorial team hopes to use the power of film to create a wave, awakening the audience to cherish the hard-won freedom and democracy.
The Campus für Demokratie at the Stasimuseum holds the “Campus Kino” outdoor film screenings and events every August, promoting human rights education and deepening democracy. This month-long exhibition attracts over a thousand international audiences each year. This festival is the first international collaboration for Campus Kino.