Katharina Thalbach Warns of Joe Chialo (CDU) as a Possible Culture Minister. “Then everything will get even worse. And not just in Berlin. Then Germany will become provincial” the actress told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (NOZ) about rumors that the Berlin Culture Senator is to be succeeded by Claudia Roth.
Her rejection is based on the cuts in the Berlin cultural budget: “The BER had cost a million every day for a long time. Every day. We taxpayers paid for it. Now we have a huge budget hole – and we’re cutting the cultural budget, the smallest item in the entire budget” the actress said.
“What annoys me is this immense inability. We have a culture minister who says: It was unfortunately decided over my head. And he hasn’t even protested. Instead, he says: Put on warm clothes – we now have to make art according to capitalist standards. Beg for some hotel sponsors, but not the state anymore” Katharina Thalbach said.
The form of political response she wishes on the cost pressure was formulated by Katharina Thalbach as follows: “Richard von Weizsäcker. He already said over thirty years ago: When it comes to culture, one can’t talk about subsidies. Because it’s a self-evident fact for our society that culture is financed.”
That the actress and director herself is currently performing “Murder on the Orient Express” at a private theater with great success is not an argument against her, in her opinion: “Things must also be promoted that don’t attract the masses. We need the unknown author who, what do I know, writes a quirky monologue about ants.”
In the event of the downfall of German culture, the 70-year-old has already found an alternative for herself: “I would definitely like to be the next James Bond or the one after that. It would be a huge pleasure if 007 mutated to 0085” said Thalbach. “If that means fitness center and weight training for me – please, gladly. I’m ready.