A Special Program on Germany
It is an honor and a privilege for the Goethe-Institut Japan and for myself to congratulate the organizers of the tenth Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival for all their efforts in realizing another international film event in Japan which attracts documentary filmmakers and enthusiasts from here and abroad.
In a time of fast and vast information, documentary films more than ever before have become a media form of outstanding importance for conveying serious, impartial, and lasting information and knowledge in the world. It is with great pleasure indeed that in 2007 the Goethe-Institut Japan will contribute to the festival’s program for the first time, with a series of outstanding films under the title “Facing the Past—German Documentaries.” This program underlines not only the relevance of the past in Germany today, but also how the making of documentaries contributes to maintaining our awareness of how to deal with history today for the purposes of lasting reconciliation and prosperous integration among its European neighbors.
My very special thanks go to the festival organizers, the film directors, and guests from Germany, as well as to our German partners, AG DOK and German Films.
To the festival and its audience, I wish everyone great success and fascinating film viewing.
Dr. Uwe Schmelter
Director General, Goethe-Institut Japan
Goethe-Institut Regional Director for East Asia