Why have a taxi film festival
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A large part of the preparation is done. In the light of the registered films, the purpose of the Taxifilmfest is clear.
Film and theatre festivals are places to meet people, to encounter the new and the extraordinary, art and markets.
The Taxi Film Festival is different. It can be anything other festivals are, but first and foremost it is a manifesto for the human side of the taxi business, for its contribution to culture in Berlin and the world.
The Taxi Film Festival is aimed at
– filmmakers, whose works we present,
– critics and audiences, to whom we present films,
– distributors and film sales companies, to whom we present products.
We have political and social goals.
– We introduce other taxi worlds to our colleagues behind the wheel of taxis and rental cars.
– We show the public the great and special contribution of taxi companies and drivers to a life worth living. In film and in reality, taxis are scenes of life from birth to death.
The Taxi Film Festival is a platform for exchanging ideas about culture and work. We will organise workshops and discussions for this purpose.
Culture is more than just a pure service. Taxi culture takes place when people not only drive from A to B, but also tell stories, sing, solve problems and a ride really helps those involved to move forward.
The taxi film festival also has opponents. These are all those who want to threaten and destroy taxi culture. [1]
The Taxi Film Festival therefore advocates for good jobs, regular incomes, safe and pleasant working conditions.
Experienced taxi drivers are the best connoisseurs of their city. They are seismographs of social developments and confessors of the suffering. A street name stands for them as a symbol of a way of life. The films at the Taxi Film Festival also tell stories about this. Names are more than just sound and smoke or product marketing. [2]
[1] Like all culture, taxi culture needs space, time and freedom. If you have to fight for survival and only think about money, there is no room for life and culture. The optimisation of profitability and communication without regard for laws to protect people, when ratings and apps replace encounters and intensive discussions, be it about the exact location of a destination, culture does not take place.
[2] The Taxi Film Festival opposes the transfer of the right to name cities, places and institutions to those who would use it to strengthen their power interests at the expense of democratic authorities. Publicly used streets and squares or places of assembly should be named according to the will of the democratic public. Nothing against nicknames like ‘Pregnant Oyster’, ‘Telespargel’ or ‘Langer Lulatsch’, the taxi geography needs precise definitions, which may only be determined by official, i.e. democratically verified dedication.
