Overview
- The open letter, obtained by Variety, calls on the Berlinale to condemn what the signatories describe as an ongoing Israeli genocide against Palestinians.
- It accuses the festival of helping to silence artists critical of Israel and faults the German state for facilitating such censorship.
- Notable signatories include Javier Bardem, Tilda Swinton, Tatiana Maslany, Adam McKay and Fernando Meirelles, alongside other international film figures.
- The intervention follows jury president Wim Wenders’ remark that the festival must remain apart from politics, which drew criticism and prompted reported withdrawals, including author Arundhati Roy.
- The letter situates the appeal within a wider cultural boycott movement, citing more than 5,000 film professionals who say they will not work with Israeli institutions they deem complicit.