“Lord of the Toys”, winner of the film festival, DOK Leipzig, has triggered a controversy. The criticism: The Film offers its protagonists a Forum for right-wing slogans. Director Pablo Ben Yakov refers to position.
This year’s winning film of the German main prize at the documentary film festival DOK Leipzig is currently being hotly debated. In the center of the “Lord of the Toys” is a group of Youtubers to Twenty; the head of the Dresden coterie of Influencer Max Herzberg alias Adlersson, has on his YouTube main channel more than 280,000 subscribers and advertising revenue, as well as small donations from his Fans to his living denies. His success is based on Clips, in which he unpacks products, “unboxing” is among connoisseurs. Often it is the knife, also, in part, illegal copies, or Rap albums in the so-called “Deluxe”editions for Fans. Very many of the Followers are also each Time when Herzberg’s filming himself and his cronies as they make fun of get drunk or retail seller on the phone. The language of the young men is very coarse, and often anti-Semitic, racist or homophobic sayings fall. Together with camera man and Co-author André Krummel Director Pablo Ben Yakov has accompanied the YouTuber for two months. In a filing to the Off-comment of the Film and without explanatory Statements of the protagonists. It was in the last days a lot of criticism, especially, but also the Premiere. Tenor: should such people and their radical right-wing slogans, not a Forum.
Deutsche Welle: Mr. Ben Yakov, were you surprised by the reactions to your Film?
Pablo Ben Yakov: Yes and no. We have of course made a Film, to discussions. From these discussions came but then, that surprised me a bit. We had done this before, actually more Worried that right-wing extremists would threaten us thereafter. But now we have to say, no, it’s basically the same kind of Troll culture that we portray in the Film and criticize it, which has given us now a great deal of attention.
What do you mean exactly?
Well, the origin of this very discussion came up on Twitter from people who could not have seen the Film at all, because he had not yet been published. These people knew – or believed to know -that the Film is in any case uncritical, nothing reasonably, nothing will come of animals, and in a way made known, in advance, for a fairly aggressive mood.
Director Pablo Ben Yakov
The criticism that your Film give the protagonists unfiltered a platform that has been expressed by some viewers after the movie. What do you say to that?
That we are creating here is a platform in the Form of a film, that’s obvious. We represent something. Therefore, this question is of course justified. You have to ask yourself, as a documentary actually always, if you would like to deal with problematic issues. But I think that if you look at the Film, realize that it is designed from front to back. That we have since made very good thoughts on how we can make what we want to tell, understand. And since our attitude is reflected is of course.
Specifically, a waiver by an Off-comment that could classify the events has been criticized.
I don’t think an Off-could have contributed to comment much. We wanted to draw attention to the fact that on the net is a dangerous De-communication, a language that creates an extremely aggressive mood. And this aggressive mood is what is dangerous. And I think that is absolutely clearly noticeable in the Film. For example, if a deodorant can long Spray is a young by-minute facial, evacuated, then it is clear that that’s insane, unpleasant, and a crossing of the border and the Aggression and violence that happens there. To say this about a speaker’s text again, I think it’s unnecessary. I trust the audience to understand these things for themselves
The Film is just over 90 minutes long. There is almost no action, no statement, the mean of Herzberg and co. seriously, or seems to touch you. They have accompanied the men for two months – are they really always so?
Yes, we also had the impression that concepts dissolve, with which we try to describe things. We had the feeling that there is nothing to be taken seriously, and that everything is trying to turn into a mindless joke. That is why we have made it our mission to take these guys more seriously. If we the boy with the mask (also known as “incognito Spastiko”, article image with Max Herzberg, editor’s note. d. editorial) when brushing your teeth, or at porn do not look to see, with the mask, then this is because we want to make a cinematic joke, but because we have made it our task very seriously, and to give a different view on things.
They were also there when the Clique insulted a group of foreigners at the Oktoberfest racially and physically attacked. What do you think in such a case, as an observer?
It was of course clear from the outset that this potential for Violence is, if we go with the guys on the Oktoberfest. But we then realized that it us almost impossible to film something like that, because physical violence actually leads to, that we can no longer work as an observer, as we want to. Because our Intuition has taken over, our reflexes. We have set on the rst beat of the films and looked to see what’s going on there and whether you can help someone. This was a real fight and not beautiful.
You believe that you will achieve with your Film, the fan base of Herzberg – and you might get to see him critical?
I hope, and the first indication I’ve received: After the Premiere, we have accompanied the boys to the car. Because two of their Fans came out to meet us, and I expected to experience a fans situation, as I had already experienced a thousand times, with De-communication, and Delivery of returnable bottles, and the Like. But it was something quite different, namely, that these two guys recognized me and said that was a very important Film and the discussion could now take place, unfortunately, is just as short (in connection to the screening at the DOK Leipzig, Anm. d. editorial), they had a very important. Since the jaw is to me actually a bit dropped, because it was the first Time that I’ve actually seen, which can also speak normal, serious sentences.
At the same time, we must not assume, however, that you show this Film and then all are converted. Of course there are people who find the content of Max Herzberg insanely funny, and also partly what we show, very funny. You may delude themselves.
Nevertheless, the Film shows the protagonists in moments that are not your Image may be beneficial. What you have said about the Film?
We had shown the Film in advance privately in Dresden. And, of course, there have been moments where you are on your own jokes and laugh. The love of self. What, however, I was happy and amazed: following words were ‘This is partly so sad,’ and ‘There’s a tremendous Void in our Look, it’s Yes.’ Of course, you see your own transgressions. The to understand the already. And even if there is not a direct conversion takes place: I believe it has been here and there thoughtful.
The Interview was conducted by Catherine Abel.