Argue against, argue again

ARGUE AGAINST, ARGUE AGAIN – THE LIMITS AND POTENTIALS OF DEBATE CULTURE

>>>The pre-sale for the opening event at Akademie der Künste (Pariser Platz) has STARTED now.<<<

The much-vaunted culture of debate in Germany appears to be in poor shape. Public discourse, it is often said, has become so toxic, the divisions so entrenched and stereotyping of any opposition so rigid, that a genuine culture of debate is now seriously under threat. In the cultural scenes of many countries, the willingness to engage openly and constructively with disagreement seems to be waning. This tendency has only further intensified since October 7, 2023. But what do we actually mean by a culture of debate? Why has it become endangered, and why is it worth defending anyway?

In light of current upheavals in the cultural sector, we will be discussing the idea of a culture of debate and its importance to inevitable social negotiations—in the film industry and beyond. We want to ask: What does criticism have to do with debate? After all, Critics’ Week was founded on the belief that debate is necessary and productive, but can also be enjoyable and cultivate empathy.

As part of our opening event on February 9 at Akademie der Künste, the philosopher Heidi Salaverría, who is currently researching the connection between conflict and salsa dancing, among other topics, discusses the idea of debate culture with Hengameh Yaghoobifarah, a writer and editor known for their sharp-tongued texts and emphatic public statements. The discussion is moderated by the journalist Amina Aziz, who is also guest editor of this year’s Critics’ Week magazine.  Afterwards, we bring filmmakers and critics Frédéric Jaeger, Canan Turan and Cem Kaya together with seasoned rhetoric professionals Dario Werner and Susanna Wirthgen to use the best arguments to shed light on conflicting perspectives on the concept of criticism itself—within the profession, in art, as a means of communication, and as a philosophical stance. Artist and debate format developer Martin Muth stages and moderates the debate as a playful exchange with the audience, testing the rules that public debates actually follow. With music my Stephan Wortmann.

Location: Akademie der Künste, Pariser Platz 4, 10117 Berlin 

Schedule:

Doors: 6:30 p.m.

7 p.m.
Welcome by the Berlin Critics’ Week collective
Welcome address by Tricia Tuttle (festival director, Berlinale)
Keynote by Heinz Emigholz (filmmaker, member of Akademie der Künste)

7:30 p.m.
Discussion between Heidi Salaverría (philosopher, professor of art theory and artistic practice) and Hengameh Yaghoobifarah (writer/editor), moderated by Amina Aziz (freelance journalist).  

Break: 8:35 p.m.

9:05 p.m.
Debate performance, staged and moderated by Martin Muth (debate format developer, moderator, artist) with music by Stephan Wortmann
Guests: Frédéric Jaeger (filmmaker, co-founder and former artistic director of Berlin Critics’ Week), Cem Kaya (filmmaker), Canan Turan (independent film scholar, script consultant, curator), Dario Werner (German Debating Championships runner-up) and Susanna Wirthgen (finalist in German Debating Championships 2025, political scientist and economist)

Reception: 10:15 p.m.

In cooperation with

Sektion Film- und Medienkunst der Akademie der Künste