Subsidised Hedonism: Why German Taxpayers Are Funding Berlin Fetish Culture
From federal cultural funds to public television co-productions, state money flows freely into a documentary exalting capital nightlife.
German taxpayers might reasonably wonder what cultural milestones their hard-earned money supports. The latest answer comes from the cinemas: a documentary detailing the inner workings of Berlin’s infamous KitKatClub, complete with BDSM, drag acts, and explicit hedonism, has been brought to the silver screen with substantial state backing.
Research reveals that KitKatClub – Kinks of Berlin received 119,631.76 euros in direct government subsidies. The federal level stepped up via the German Federal Film Fund, an initiative under Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media Wolfram Weimer, providing 59,631.76 euros in production support. Regional authorities were equally generous. Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg allocated 50,000 euros for production in 2022, followed by an additional 10,000 euros for distribution in early 2026, drawn directly from the state budgets of Berlin and Brandenburg.
Public broadcaster ZDF also joined the venture as a co-producer through its editorial department Das kleine Fernsehspiel, with Avanti Media Fiction GmbH handling production. Yet, when asked about the extent of public fee money funneled into the project, the broadcaster took shelter behind corporate secrecy. We do not comment on the costs of individual productions, the channel responded. Broad broadcaster data indicates that documentary slots in that category average around 125,000 euros.
The project itself, directed by Austrian filmmaker Philipp Fussenegger—who separately operates a Friedrichshain establishment featuring silicone sex dolls and virtual reality—offers an unvarnished look at the club founded in 1994 by porn producer Simon Thaur and Kirsten Krüger. The documentary follows regulars detailing their private encounters, explicit events, and unconventional relationship dynamics.
Subcultures and niche lifestyles certainly have their place in a free society. Whether the state must use public funds to subsidize the cinematic documentation of adult nightlife activities, however, remains a question of fiscal responsibility. While private indulgence thrives on the club floor, the bill, as usual, lands on the desks of citizens who never asked to join the party.
Written by Christiane Hofreiter christiane.hofreiter@alpineweekly.com