Karl May’s stories about Chief Winnetou and his blood brother Old Shatterhand are boycotted by various media due to accusations of racism and discrimination.
Munich – In the current debate about the “I word” in Winnetou, the ARD is now drawing consequences for itself. The German film classic should no longer be broadcast. This is reported by the Bild newspaper on Friday.
The newspaper quotes ARD as saying that no films have been shown since the license agreements expired. Also in the future no license purchases for Winnetou films are planned. The Bayerischer Rundfunk BR said that it would continue to show “classic films”. “In individual cases, all films are always checked to see whether the respective film fits into our program,” said a spokeswoman.
Winnetou scandal: ZDF puts its foot in it
ZDF, on the other hand, still has “broadcasting rights for various Karl May films that will be broadcast in the next few years,” said a spokesman. The debate was also boiling up in the broadcaster’s social media area. In its Facebook post on the subject, ZDF asked users to avoid the “I word”.
The reason for the current statements is the controversy surrounding the Winnetou title that Ravensburger Verlag has withdrawn. After protests, especially on social media, the publisher had withdrawn two children’s books, a sticker book and a puzzle. The items were to be distributed to accompany the film The Young Chief Winnetou, which has been in cinemas since August 11th.
