THE VOICE: Doris Metz about Petra Kelly

Petra Kelly devoted her life to others. She didn’t have a narcissistic ego driven by self-interest or personal advancement. Instead, she had an ego that served others, believing in standing together so that we could all have a better life. Her vision was clear. She wanted to raise her voice to change politics – not just the topics, but the very nature of politics.

She often said it was up to us to create a kind of politics that truly serves the people, starting with the weakest. Lobbying, hierarchies, power plays, and careerism bored her to death. What truly mattered to her were issues like environmental protection, women’s rights, uranium storage, nuclear power, and arms control. All these issues were interconnected, even if they seemed separate at first glance.

Petra’s ability to perceive and feel the emotions and suffering of others can be explained with her own personal history. As a young girl living with her grandmother in Günzburg, she suffered from a kidney condition. She stayed in the hospital for long periods, surrounded by the weakest in society. The death of her younger sister, for whom she was like a mother due to their age difference, was another pivotal moment in her life. Her sister was a highly gifted, artistic and sensitive child. Having to watch her die from cancer without being able to do anything was a near-breaking point for Petra. She knew what it felt like to be vulnerable and powerless, but from that, she developed an incredible strength.

Her drive was deeply spiritual in nature. It was similar to the Indigenous spirituality of love for all life, for nature, for animals, and the intrinsic value of life itself. Petra had this sensitivity, this deep respect, and she knew exactly what the other person needed. People felt that. Many sought her support. Pleas for help came in from all over the world, basketfuls of letters. And she responded to every single one. In the days before social media, postcards were her favorite means of communication. What is left behind is an enormous body of correspondence. Petra often took on too much, exhausting herself. She always feared she wouldn’t have enough time. But through this, she achieved things in one week that others couldn’t accomplish in a lifetime.

Of course, even the most selfless person strives for some sense of fulfillment. For Petra, that fulfillment came from being impactful. Watch the speeches she gave to large audiences. You’ll see that she could move people to action. She was charismatic and inspiring and she had a vision. Today, it sometimes feels like politics has become a business, but Petra reminds us what its real purpose is and what human beings are capable of. That requires empathy, dedication and fearlessness. She had all of that. One sentence from her stayed with me throughout the years of making this film:

Today, everything seems to be very self-centered, especially with social media. We’re consumed by our self-image, our self-presentation, and constant self-optimization. But this obsession with ourselves leads nowhere. It’s reaching out to others, listening, and getting involved that truly moves us forward. Petra never gave a thought to how she wanted to come across. If someone told her to leave her ruffled blouses and old sweaters at home and dress up more, she’d simply reply that they should be glad she was wearing anything at all.

Of course, she understood how to create images that served her cause and how to win intellectuals and artists over to her side. She had to – back then, there were no personal social media accounts to spread your message. You had to get the attention of traditional media to be seen and heard. Petra understood that. But her deep commitment protected her from becoming a victim to fame. She was never in danger of letting her own ego become more important than the cause.

Instead, she was a speed reader, always focused, always prepared. In every TV interview, the taskmasters were upset because she refused to engage in small talk. She was able to understand highly complex issues and bring them to the point. Far superior to the men around her, which, of course, was a provocation to them. At the time, West Germany was a narrow, patriarchal and nationalistic society. Many people couldn’t speak English. A young woman who had grown up abroad, who had learned from the American Civil Rights Movement, who thought globally and had such a broad perspective – this was something entirely new.

It all came with a price. Petra faced a lot of hatred – right-wing extremists followed her all over the world, tormenting her with insults and threats. She was called all the misogynist labels that still sound familiar today: troublemaker, nag, bra burner… There was resistance even within her own party. Petra often suffered, and wasn’t afraid to show it. People frequently accused her of staging her emotions. There was even a saying in the Bundestag: “One more tear from Petra, and I’m leaving.” Many members of The Greens quickly got attached to their new positions of power, but Petra never played the game. That made those around her feel uncomfortable because it forced them to question themselves, which, as we know, most people don’t enjoy much. Yet, opposition was only a motivation to Petra.

I wanted to bring Petra Kelly’s story into the present and this film has come at exactly the right time. I sense a longing for people who are authentic, who stand for something, who speak clearly and directly, while spreading hope in a positive way.

It’s not enough to just be against something. You have to give people a positive vision. Robert Habeck, the current face of Germany’s Green Party, is a nice man, but is he inspiring? Petra, on the other hand, was a symbol of hope.

Why do people like her not exist in politics today? Because they aren’t allowed to climb the ladder in political parties anymore – they’re too unpredictable. People who don’t act out of ego or lust for power are inconvenient. They can’t be flattered, they can’t be bribed, and they question the system. Only those who conform make it to the top. It’s interesting that our time is considered so individualistic, yet it’s also so homogenous.

I would be incredibly happy if Petra were here in this burning world, using her sharp intellect and analytical skills to search for answers. How would she view the dead ends we’ve maneuvered ourselves into? How would she see her own party today? The argument that we must deliver always more weapons to create peace is something she would probably disagree with. She was non-violent to her core. But today, there’s no longer real debate within the political landscape, not even in The Greens. There is an underlying fear of being cancelled. I’m sure Petra would intervene and change that.

In times of crisis, there is this longing for strong leadership. Leaders now are once again – as in darker, older times – tough, dominant, militaristic. But leadership doesn’t have to be Trump, Erdogan, or Putin. Petra would have been the exact opposite. She embodied strong leadership in a soft and nuanced way – with empathy and the power of language. That makes her loss even more bitter.