Hhat you ever heard of Jany Tempel? And does the name Dieter Wedel mean something to you? Wedel, who died last year, was one of the best-known German television directors, making some of the most famous television miniseries. Jany Tempel played in one of them, “The King of St. Pauli”. Her appearance was short, but the experience was formative. Not because of her role, but because the “casting” for her took place in Wedel’s hotel room.
Wedel is said to have worn a bathrobe and raped her shortly afterwards, Tempel told “Zeit Magazin” in 2018. According to the report in “Zeit”, the Munich public prosecutor’s office began investigating in 2018. After that, nothing happened for a long time. Tempel’s attorney filed a failure to act complaint, which was dismissed in January 2021. In March 2021, prosecutors filed charges against Wedel, but the trial still hasn’t started. Tempel went on a hunger strike in June 2022, and the director died in July.
Women who accuse famous men of abusing them are often accused of seeking money and fame. But on what basis? In the USA, allegations of abuse often result in settlement payments that prevent the accused from being prosecuted. But that’s not the case in Germany. And that a woman can build a career on blaming a famous man is beyond improbable.
She is no longer an actress
If you know the name of Dieter Wedel, but not the name of Jany Tempel, who played, among other things, a detective assistant in the Hessian “Tatort”, that would be an indication of this thesis. In any case, Jany Tempel did not benefit from her accusations against Wedel, which, compared to many other MeToo victims, she did not make anonymously, but with her real name. She is no longer an actress, but she owes 50,000 euros. She has been in therapy for years.
Tempel has now started a crowdfunding campaign together with the filmmaker Ina Knoblochin which you want to raise money for the actress and a film about her story. Knobloch told the FAZ that it cannot be the case that victims are left hanging like temples. A lot has happened in the film industry since MeToo. “That’s why you have to support the people who are helping to improve the system with their statements.” Celebrities such as Ursula Karven, Jasmin Tabatabai or Simon Verhoeven have their say in the campaign, who are campaigning for the Tempel case to be processed now that there are no more court proceedings. Verhoeven was also one of the first to comment on the “Zeit” report. “Many men,” says Knobloch, “think that’s important too. They don’t want to be put in the same sack with the abusive men, the crowd isn’t like that.”
The film, for which she began researching five years ago, will deal with Tempel’s case and how women are treated in the film industry. Tempel, says Knobloch, suffers for many others who didn’t dare to say anything. Although the MeToo debate is still relevant, making a film isn’t easy, says Knobloch: “There’s an awful lot being filmed and shown about the bad cases abroad – not that I’m against it. But people like to relocate.” Knobloch and Tempel would like to change something about that. Also to ensure that those who dare to go public are not forgotten by them.
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