Mr Benegal,

Consul Geneal Siebert, 

Ms Stukenberg, 

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

I am very grateful for the invitation to this film festival and thank you for the very warm welcome you have extended to me. 

This is the last evening of my week here in India. I will be taking home a multitude of fascinating impressions of your marvellous country among other things of the important Indian film and media industry. 

I am, of course, aware that I have been able to experience only tiny details of the manifold, multi-ethnic and multi-religious Indian life. 

The kindness and warm-hearted courtesy that I have been met with everywhere has been overwhelming and the many stimulating discussions and encounters I have had deeply impressed me and will linger for a long time to come. 

As Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg I come across India and Indian culture often in our town. The newest symbol of the strong bond between us is the Mahatma-Ghandi-Bridge, connecting two parts of our newly built HarborCity. 

As the second-largest German city, Hamburg ranks among the top European harbors. It is a hub of European turnover of goods from all continents to all continents. Recently, Hamburg and the metropolitan area have been taking huge steps to become the centre for wind energy a centerpiece of the politically decided shift in our country’s energy policy to replace all fossil energy with renewable energies. 

Some call Hamburg Germany’s most beautiful city. I will not publicly subscribe to this claim, but I think can say in all modesty that Hamburg, both as a state and as a city, is proudly cosmopolitan. We are both future-oriented and aware of our long tradition. 

Therefore, it is a pleasure to introduce a German film from the era of silent films that vividly depicts the traditionally strong connection between Germany and India. I hope it will meet with your interest, just as Bollywood-productions as well as smaller Indian films find a very enthusiastic audience at home. 

When your superstar Shah Rukh Khan spent time in Germany filming Don The King is Back” two years ago he caused a huge sensation and I hope the film brought a little bit of Germany to India. 

Movies have the power of creating magical moments that reach us on a very special emotional level. I am sure that the hosts of this film festival will present us with an exceptional cinematic experience tonight. 

Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you again for the wonderful time that we were able to spend together. In return, I would like to invite you to come to Hamburg maybe you would like to join in the 5th India Week to be held in September 2013?

And now I wish all of us a very entertaining evening.

Thank you.