Berlin Eviction

Director’s Note

As a Berliner, I have always felt, and also known, that the image depicted by both the yellow press and the quality press about the squatter scene and the associated projects is more than excessive. It is not contemporary to view these people as the legacy of the RAF or other extremists. However, by perpetuating this image, society seems to adapt and try to avoid and abandon these places, people, and the entire scene altogether. 
Though it is fascinating to talk to people who not only despise the idea of personal wealth but also live and fight against the unchallenged ruler: Capitalism. Open minded and sometimes naive, I dove deep into the scene. I met people whom I learned to respect. After collecting and organizing my thoughts and impressions, I desired to create a film that would showcase the positive ideas and aspects of this almost forgotten subculture. The number of punks on the streets has dwindled amidst the countless cafes, chain companies, and skyrocketing rents that do not seem to have a limit.
The concept of solidarity, in particular, fascinates me. People who do not have much and do not want to have much support people who are in need. They provide food, culture and safer places for the LGBTQIA+ community — without having the motive of money or hipness.
This has driven me to present something on the screen that the press and television have been reluctant to show for the last 40 or 50 years: a positive and interested perspective of the left and autonomous scene in Berlin. My mantra for this production was a quote by Robert Bresson that I stumbled upon during my studies: “Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.”