Overview
- More than 80 film professionals published a Variety letter accusing the festival of institutional silence on the Gaza war, alleging censorship and urging a condemnation of what they call Israel's genocide.
- Signatories include Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, Mike Leigh, Adam McKay, Nan Goldin, and others with past or current Berlinale ties.
- Festival director Tricia Tuttle denied suppressing voices, called the issue complex, urged adherence to international law to protect civilians, and criticized what she described as a viral misrepresentation of Wim Wenders’ remarks.
- Culture minister Wolfram Weimer backed Tuttle and jury president Wenders, said no censorship is occurring, and argued the festival remains a forum for open debate despite activist pressure.
- The dispute follows Wenders’ comment that filmmakers should stay out of politics and Arundhati Roy’s withdrawal, with scrutiny heightened by a briefly interrupted press-conference livestream that organizers attributed to technical problems later shown in full on YouTube.