After Theater of Reconciliation, the second edition of the discussion series organized by Max Czollek is dedicated to the issue of Overcoming the Present. The focus lies on events and phenomena of the present and the question of how the past reflects in them. Max Czollek meets people who seek to understand many of the current crises and find answers to them: How to deal with the climate crisis, the expanding wars, the continuity of right-wing politics and violence? How to cope with feelings of grief, despair, and anger? What role does civil society play in dealing with conflicts? And how stressable are alliances for a collaboration in exceptional situations?

Ruth Beckermann is a film-maker and author based in Vienna. Her film The Dreamed Ones (2016) won the award for best feature film at the Diagonale in Graz. The Waldheim Waltz (2018) received several awards, including the Glashütte Prize for Best Documentary Film at the 2018 Berlinale as well as an Oscar nomination. In 2019, Ruth Beckermann realised the installation Joyful Joyce for the Salzburg Festival. In 2022, her film Mutzenbacher was shown in the Encounters competition at the Berlinale and won the award for best film. Her latest film Favoriten was awarded in the Encounters competition of the Berlinale in 2024 and won the Peace Film Prize.