Recommendations of the Editorial team
More than 80 filmmakers, including stars such as Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton, have criticized the Berlinale’s “silence” on the Gaza war in an open letter. The signatories of the letter, which was seen by the AFP news agency in Berlin on Tuesday, said they were “horrified” by the festival’s “institutional silence” and “dismayed” by its “involvement in the censorship of artists who reject Israel’s ongoing genocide against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”
Criticism of Wim Wenders and the festival management
Last week, jury president Wim Wenders responded to a question about the Middle East conflict and the role of the festival at a press conference: “We have to stay out of politics.” The Indian author Arundhati Roy therefore canceled her participation in the festival.
Javier Bardem compared Israel’s military to Nazis. In addition to film stars such as Bardem and Swinton, the open letter was also signed by several well-known filmmakers, including British director Mike Leigh and his US colleague Adam McKay. Many of the signatories were already represented at the Berlinale with their own films.
Prominent signatories and political demands
Swinton was awarded the Honorary Golden Bear last year and expressed her respect for the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement. The actress has repeatedly called for a boycott of Israeli media workers. Oscar winner Bardem has already compared Israel’s army to Nazis. “The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) are Nazis,” the Spanish actor wrote, among other things, in a post on Instagram.
In the letter, the international artists stated that they decidedly disagreed with Wenders: cinema and politics cannot be separated.
“Just as the festival has in the past made clear statements about atrocities committed against people in Iran and Ukraine, we call on the Berlinale to fulfill its moral obligation and clearly express its rejection of Israel’s genocide,” the letter continued.
Demand for clear positioning
The signatories see the festival as having a responsibility to position itself clearly. They demand a public condemnation of the Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip and accuse the Berlinale of not adequately protecting voices critical of Israel.
