Should be red balloons.

Kek

"Why ‘Citizen Vigilante’ Is Being Blocked in Germany

By Uwe Boll (**AUTHOR AND DIRECTOR OF THE MOVIE)

Mon, May 25, 2026 While ‘Citizen Vigilante’ is showing in other countries, Uwe Boll’s film has not been approved by the FSK in Germany. Eight reviewers have thus decided that a film about migrant crime, violence, and the failure of the justice system should not reach German audiences.

Developing, financing, and producing a film often takes years and involves an immense financial, emotional, and time investment. Each of my films represents not only money but also the passion and energy of hundreds of crew members. For readers who don’t feel like reading a lengthy article about the FSK (the German Film Industry’s Voluntary Self-Regulation Body), here’s the short version first: I shot the English-language action thriller “Citizen Vigilante” in Croatia, starring U.S. actor Armie Hammer (The Social Network, Death on the Nile, Hotel Mumbai, etc.) and Costas Mandylor (My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Greenland, etc.). The film will be shown in every other country in the world and will generally be accessible to viewers aged 16 and older. It opens in the U.S. on June 19. But not in Germany. According to the FSK, the film promotes vigilante justice. That’s why a review jury—composed like a broadcasting council, a lay judges’ court, or a board of directors—decided not to rate the film for ages 18 and up or assign it the “KJ” rating (not approved for minors), but instead to label it “KK” (no rating). This means that not only should minors under 18 not see the film, but ultimately no one should—regardless of age. Eight people selected by the FSK thus decide what adult citizens in Germany are allowed to watch and what they are not. The “KK” label ensures that all providers in Germany who show or sell films—from Amazon to retailers like Müller and MediaMarkt, as well as movie theaters, streaming services, and TV stations—will not offer the film. The irony is: The film is neither pornographic nor extremely violent. The level of violence is on par with films like John Wick starring Keanu Reeves or The Equalizer starring Denzel Washington. So what is the real reason for this ban? Our main character becomes a wanted terrorist and, at the same time, a social media hero because she hunts down criminals and also takes action against mass rapists. The mass rapists in the film are young migrants, which, according to crime statistics, is unfortunately particularly common in cases of mass rape. Let’s recall a case in Hamburg that, among other things, inspired me to write the screenplay, as I am a filmmaker who likes to grapple with reality in a clear and unflinching way. Of the nine young men convicted, only one actually had to go to prison at the time of the verdict. In November 2023, the Hamburg Regional Court sentenced nine men between the ages of 19 and 23 to juvenile sentences ranging from one year to two years and nine months for the rape of a 15-year-old girl. For eight of the nine convicted men, the sentence was either suspended directly on probation or the decision on suspension was initially left open as part of a so-called “preliminary probation” process. Since the perpetrators were between 17 and 20 years old at the time of the crime, juvenile criminal law was applied, which prioritizes rehabilitation over punishment. The court justified the suspended sentences, among other things, by citing the long time that had elapsed since the crime in 2020 and the perpetrators’ positive social development since then. Two other defendants were acquitted because their involvement in the crime could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Both the judge and the press referred to the “poor, traumatized perpetrators” at the time. This is, of course, a joke and a mockery of the victim, because rape is a serious crime. The court seemed indifferent to victim protection, as the girl in question continues to live in the same city as the perpetrators, who are not in custody. My film is fictional and is subject to entirely different criteria than a documentary. In my assessment, the FSK’s intention with this rating is not only to ensure that minors are protected from the film, but also to ensure that as few people as possible in Germany get to see it at all. Since, according to my research, “Citizen Vigilante” is the only film that takes a critical look at crime committed by migrants, it is precisely this one film—the only one that seeks to portray the reality on the streets, in back alleys, and in the bushes across Europe as it actually unfolds—that is being blocked. In my view, this is a politically motivated decision by the FSK that reflects a larger problem in our society. This problem is the trend—clearly visible for years—of the ruling parties, in collaboration with public broadcasters, NGOs such as Correctiv, as well as taxpayer-funded social media campaigns and reporting platforms like “Trusted Flaggers,” to maintain and expand their power, privileges, and positions under the guise of “do-goodism” and the “fight against Nazis.” Anyone who opposes them is denigrated as anti-democratic and, if necessary, prosecuted under criminal or civil law. In this interpretation, the protection of minors—including under the European Digital Services Act—is merely a façade for political censorship and control of public opinion. Freedom of art must also apply here, in accordance with Article 5, Paragraph 3, Sentence 1 of the Basic Law. It simply states: “Art and science, research and teaching are free.” This fundamental right is among the most strongly protected freedoms in the German Constitution. There is no legal reservation: Unlike freedom of expression under Article 5, Paragraph 2 of the Basic Law, freedom of art contains no explicit restrictions through “general laws.” The state may neither censor art based on its content nor judge whether it is “good” or “bad.” This is the so-called prohibition against the state acting as a judge of art. The protection is comprehensive: Both the creation of the work—that is, the sphere of creation—and its presentation and dissemination—that is, the sphere of impact—are protected, so that art can reach the public at all. The historical background is clear: The framers of the Basic Law enshrined this strong right in direct response to the Nazi dictatorship, during which art was defamed as “degenerate art” and banned. The FSK is using the pretext of protecting minors to undermine the Basic Law in this instance, even though minors would be protected by an 18+ rating. In my case, this is happening because this specific part of the film depicts a reality that people do not want to acknowledge: the reality that mass migration from predominantly Muslim countries has severely undermined the security situation in Germany. Instead of ensuring the safety of the population—for example, by directly deporting non-German criminals and reducing migration from Africa—efforts are being made to suppress reporting on the security threat. With this decision, the FSK may—without even realizing it—be serving not the protection of minors, but the preservation of the current government and its status quo, at the expense of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and artistic freedom. The thousands of criminal complaints that politicians in Germany file against dissatisfied citizens who voice their opinions online are further evidence of the ruling class’s determination to suppress freedom through intimidation. While all my films can be viewed uncut even in Austria—and in 100 other countries as well—I have also had major problems with the FSK in the past regarding six of my films. They were released in Germany only with mandatory cuts. With Citizen Vigilante, this was made impossible this time, as I would essentially have to cut out half the film. Thus, eight people determine what 50 million adults in Germany are allowed to consume. Following Hanau (FSK 16) and Run, Citizen Vigilante is the final part of my trilogy Germany in Winter, which aims to expose the dangers and political consequences of our time and, precisely through its radical narrative style, makes it clear that violence is not a solution. Our character Sanders is not a good person and is not portrayed as one either. He is not a comic-book character like Batman, but a selfish, very wealthy businessman who, out of boredom, so to speak, begins to take justice into his own hands. Drug gangsters, teenage bullies, and two men who want to use drugs to subdue women are brought to justice. He goes to a brothel because no one loves him and he doesn’t love anyone either; he’d rather pay for sex. When, in the end, he shoots teenage rapists along with an entire family and kills the judge who failed to send those rapists to prison, it’s so harsh and shocking that the viewer is more likely to conclude that this violence goes too far. I’m a genre filmmaker, but I’ve always been a political filmmaker as well (Darfur, Postal, Assault on Wall Street, Rampage, Barschel, etc.). All my films have received R ratings in the U.S. and in every other country in the world—meaning they’re rated for audiences 16 and older. Only in Germany was this often different, and many films had to be cut in order to even receive an 18+ rating. In the case of Rampage, in which a mass murderer gets away with it, I had to cut several gory scenes and include a note in the end credits stating that the main character was apprehended by the police in order to obtain a rating. When Rampage 2 came out, many viewers in Germany asked how it could be that he wasn’t in prison. That was a direct infringement on artistic freedom and caused me harm, because Rampage and all the other censored Boll films would have been better received by critics and audiences if they had remained uncut. Movies must show reality, comment on it, and even cause pain. They must be able to make people angry and spark discussions. In Run, I show my empathy for migrants; in Hanau, the madness of a deluded racist gunman; and in Citizen Vigilante, a dark character who doesn’t really bring about justice, even if he commits acts that some people approve of. In an age when even children can see real-life killings and pornography at any time on streaming services and social media platforms, the FSK has lost any justification for its existence anyway. We even have to pay over 1,000 euros for these unnecessary reviews. In most countries—such as Austria, Scandinavia, or the Benelux countries—there is no FSK. There, the film distributors themselves indicate on a DVD or in the stream the minimum age for which a film is suitable. For horror movies, for example, the cover says “18 and up,” because no one wants to watch horror movies rated for ages 12 and up—fans expect violence and blood. These self-assigned ratings are by no means misleading; they are sufficient. The FSK should be abolished. Alternatively, DVD retailers and at least the streaming platforms should distance themselves from it and announce that they will no longer adhere to FSK ratings."

https://www.tichyseinblick.de/feuilleton/medien/citizen-vigilante-deutschland-fsk/

Reactions here in Germany so far have ranged from cinematic criticism—for example, comparisons to Death Wish or John Wick—to a fundamental rejection of any form of vigilante justice, even within right-wing circles.

But I think the Streisand effect will soon take hold here. Far too many similar things are happening here in Germany. This, combined with the escalating battles over the distribution of ever-dwindling funds—particularly pensions, funding for retirement and nursing homes, kindergartens, and schools—will ensure that it does.

Germany bans a film showing a vigilante hitting migrant criminals and corrupt officials then wonders why people push back. Now flash drives are floating across the border from Poland straight into Berlin. Nothing says own goal like trying to memory hole content about protecting your own people. The Streisand play is already in motion and the regime looks dumber by the hour. Keep launching.

SOURCE: https://x.com/TABYTCHI/status/2070303825940893922 SOURCE (mirror): https://xcancel.com/TABYTCHI/status/2070303825940893922

I'm all for it... especially in the ol USA

Truth bombs away!

You all need Batmen