"Grace under pressure" - doing what is necessary under pressure, demonstrating composure in difficult situations - this is the old hero formula. The rarity of such behavior in the real world is particularly evident in the systemic crisis of Berlin's film institutions. It was, of course, to be expected that Russia's war of aggression, the reactionary new city government, and an overwhelmed Minister of Culture would have an impact on the local cultural scene. However, the manner in which the Berlinale, Arsenal, DFFB, Deutsche Kinemathek, and Filmmuseum, Sinema Transtopia - to name just the most prominent examples - have fallen into disarray in such a short time is unprecedented. Film culture in this country seems to be a fair-weather affair. Threatened in their existence (Sinema suddenly without municipal funding, but 'saved' for the moment after a petition), without a home for years (Kinemathek and Filmmuseum, which have speculated on the hope of a newly built film house), forced into a nomadic interim period (Arsenal and DFFB, whose new locations are not ready in time), in a profound leadership crisis (DFFB, currently once again directionless) or in an identity crisis imposed by the Minister (Carlo Chatrian has been dismantled in a reputation-damaging manner, on the way back to Kosslick's former power - and apparently also to his anti-intellectualism). The accumulation of bad news reflects a catastrophic disregard by politics for film as culture. Not only is there no appreciation, no sustainable strategy, film is always to be utilized - to enhance one's office with 'glamour', to upgrade a 'location', to demonstrate 'willingness to save', or to gain 'profile' through negation. We must resist this - and counter the pessimism of reason with an optimism of will.