More than 80 actors and directors, including Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton, are speaking out at the Berlinale after comments calling for the separation of cinema and politics, reigniting controversy over Gaza at the heart of the festival.
The red carpet has not been rolled up yet. The screenings continue. But behind the scenes, the Berlinale is once again shaken by the war in Gaza.
More than 80 actors and directors, including Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton, have signed an open letter denouncing the “silence” of the festival on the “genocide of Palestinians.” Coordinated by the collective “Film workers for Palestine,” the text calls on the management to “clearly declare its opposition to the genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinians.”
The signatories, who identify themselves as “past and current participants at the Berlinale,” are “dismayed by the ongoing involvement of the Berlinale in censoring artists who oppose the ongoing genocide by Israel against the Palestinians in Gaza and the role of the German state in its support” of Israel.
At the heart of the controversy is a statement by the jury president, Wim Wenders, during the opening press conference. Asked about the festival’s stance on Israel and Gaza, the German filmmaker argued that cinema should “stay out of politics,” of which he is “opposed.” This distancing has not convinced many. In their letter, the 80 personalities state that they are “profoundly in disagreement with Wim Wenders’ statement.” For them, “one cannot separate the two”: cinema and politics.
Impossible Neutrality?
The festival’s management, on the other hand, is trying to maintain a more institutional line. On Saturday, February 14, its director Tricia Tuttle reminded that artists could “exercise their right to freedom of expression as they see fit.” She added that they should not be expected to “speak on every political subject presented to them, unless they so desire,” advocating for cinema to maintain a space for artistic debate.
This is not the first time that war has entered this Berlinale festival. In 2024, several filmmakers denounced the Israeli offensive on stage. With a keffiyeh on his shoulders, American director Ben Russell accused Israelis of committing a “genocide.” Palestinian Basel Adra stated that Gazans were being massacred by Israel, to the applause of the audience. The Berlinale is often seen as the most political of the major European festivals.
