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More than 80 representatives of the film industry, including Oscar winners Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton, published a statement sharply criticizing the Berlin Film Festival for its “silence” on the issue of Gaza.
More than 80 representatives of the film industry, including Oscar winners Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton, published a statement sharply criticizing the Berlin Film Festival for its “silence” on the issue of Gaza.
The signatories of the open letter, sent to AFP, said they were “shocked” by the festival’s “institutional silence” and “disappointed” by its “involvement in censoring artists who oppose Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.”
Their position comes after the Berlinale jury president, German director Wim Wenders, responded last week to a question about Gaza by saying: “We actually cannot enter the realm of politics.”
Among the well-known directors who signed the letter are the British filmmaker Mike Leigh and the American director Adam McKay.
Many of the signatories are artists who have presented their work at the Berlin festival. Swinton herself was awarded the prestigious honorary Golden Bear last year.
The letter states that its authors “strongly disagree” with Wenders’ remarks, emphasizing that cinema and politics cannot be separated.
“Just as the festival has in the past made clear statements regarding atrocities committed against people in Iran and Ukraine, we call on the Berlinale to fulfill its moral duty and clearly state its opposition to Israel’s genocide,” the letter adds.
The signatories criticize not only the festival’s position of not engaging with the issue of Israel’s actions in Gaza, but also “the key role of the German state in supporting it.”
Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023, in which 1,221 people were killed, sparked a devastating two-year war that has left most of Gaza in ruins and claimed the lives of more than 70,000 people, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run territory.
In August, Germany imposed a partial arms embargo on Israel, which was lifted in November following the announcement of a ceasefire for Gaza, which proved fragile. | BGNES
