Dozens of celebrities condemn Berlin Film Festival over Gaza silence
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On Tuesday, nearly 100 actors and filmmakers signed an open letter calling out the Berlin Film Festival’s “silence” on Gaza after the festival defended its right to avoid political questions.
Variety has revealed that at least 93 current and former Berlin Film Festival attendees, including Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton, Tatiana Maslany and Javier Bardem, condemned the event after festival jury president and German filmmaker Wim Wenders asked several questions about the conflict in Gaza and claimed that filmmaking was “the exact opposite of politics.”
“You cannot separate one from the other. We are deeply concerned that the Berlinale, funded by the German state, is helping to implement what UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Thought Irene Khan recently condemned as Germany’s abuse of draconian legislation ‘to restrict the defense of Palestinian rights, chill public participation and narrow discourse in academia and the arts’,” the letter said.
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Berlin Film Festival accused of censoring Palestinian artists. (Attila Husejnow/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The letter also comes after festival president Tricia Tuttle issued a statement defending actors and filmmakers who avoid political questions at press events.
“We do not believe that this festival is screening a filmmaker who is indifferent to what is happening in the world, who does not take seriously the rights, lives and suffering of people in Gaza, the West Bank, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Iran, Ukraine, Minneapolis and many other places,” Tuttle said. he said.
He added: “Artists are free to exercise their right to freedom of expression in any way they wish. Artists should not be expected to comment on wider debates about a festival’s previous or current practices over which they have no control. Nor should they be expected to speak out on every political issue thrown at them unless they want to.”
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Mark Ruffalo was one of over 90 actors and filmmakers who condemned the Berlin Film Festival on Tuesday. (Lia Toby/Getty Images)
The letter claimed that the festival was censoring criticism of Israel’s “genocide” and demanded that the festival make a statement in favor of the Palestinian cause.
“We call on the Berlinale to fulfill its moral duty, to make clear its opposition to Israel’s genocide, its crimes against humanity and its war crimes against the Palestinians, and to put a complete end to its efforts to shield Israel from criticism and calls for accountability,” the letter said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Berlin Film Festival for comment but did not immediately hear back.
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Berlin Film Festival attendees Michelle Yeoh, Neil Patrick Harris and Wim Wenders were criticized for avoiding political questions. (Nadja Wohlleben/Reuters; Dominique Charriau/WireImage via Getty Images; Axel Schmidt/Reuters)
The letter comes after more than 1,000 Hollywood figures, including actors, directors and producers, pledged to boycott Israeli film institutions in September.
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Berlin Film Festival attendees, including actors Michelle Yeoh and Neil Patrick Harris, Refused to comment on political matters Problems discussing their projects.
