From: zryd (email suppressed)
Date: Wed Apr 25 2007 - 09:31:44 PDT
Dear Frameworks folks: the announcement below is of specific relevance
to Toronto--where the Goethe-Institut has been a consistent exhibitor of
experimental film and media for the last 4 decades--but it may have
wider ramifications for the dissemination of German experimental film
and media more broadly. Please consider signing the petition, which
(unlike many petitions) may actually have some effect on its target, the
German cultural officials in charge of this decision.
Thank you for your consideration.
MZ
***
/// with apologies for multiple postings ///
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
This is a call to sign a petition against the recent announcement that
the Goethe-Institut is closing the cinema,
gallery and library at the Toronto Goethe-Institut effective 30 June 2007.
http://www.petitiononline.com/goethe07/petition.html
*FROM THE PETITION*:
We will not sit idly by while another vital cultural venue in Toronto is
closed.
The Kinowelt Hall, Gallery and Library have been the source of important
cultural presentations and collaborations for many years.
The potential loss of this venue will not be accepted.
We the undersigned are urging the Goethe-Institut to reconsider their
recent shortsighted decision to close the Goethe-Institut Toronto
cinema, gallery and library.
This is a community response. As a community we have not had the
opportunity to express our opinion about such a grave loss. We did not
have time to contact the director or anyone else at the Goethe-Institut
as it seems it was a unilateral decision with no community consultation.
There was a press release that did not circulate (it is very difficult
to find buried on the website; it was only made a available at the
Goethe the week of April 9th with no attention drawn to it), we can
assure you had we been aware of this sooner, you would have heard from
hundreds, perhaps thousands of us who are affected by this decision.
We the undersigned feel that the Goethe's decision to close the cultural
facilities that are currently available in Toronto is a serious and
short-sighted error. It is important to continue the relationships
culturally and otherwise that have been started in stable countries such
as Canada. We believe this is the underpinning of the Goethe-Institut
and what you can use as an example for future institutions.
We will not sit idly by while another vital cultural venue in Toronto is
closed. The Kinowelt Hall, Gallery and Library have been the source of
important cultural presentations and collaborations for many years. The
potential loss of this venue will not be accepted. Toronto needs a
multitude of spaces such as this, but in recent years we have lost far
too many.
This petition and community response is an urging to the Director of the
Goethe-Institut Toronto the Regional Director for North America in New
York and the Directors and the head office of the Goethe-Institut in
Munich, Germany to keep this venue open.
Please visit the blog
http://savekinowelt.blogspot.com
for more information on how you can join this effort and for current
updates.
Sincerely,
Scott Miller Berry
Executive Director
*THE IMAGES FESTIVAL*
448-401 Richmond Street West
Toronto, Ontario M5V 3A8 CANADA
+001 (416) 971 8405 telephone
+001 (416) 971 7412 facsimile
http://www.imagesfestival.com
//
-- Michael Zryd Associate Professor Department of Film, CFT 223 York University 4700 Keele St. Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, CANADA tel: 416-736-5149 fax: 416-736-5710 email suppressed __________________________________________________________________ For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.