The 76th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) has started. The festival, which opened at the Berlinale Palast in Berlin with No Good Men, will run through February 22. However, remarks made at a press conference by this year’s jury president, German filmmaker Wim Wenders, have sparked controversy.
Amid a politically charged atmosphere surrounding the festival, Wim Wenders was asked about the current state of the world, Israel’s actions in Palestine, and Germany’s support for Israel. In response to the political questions directed at him, Wenders stated that he preferred to stay out of political commentary.
“No movie has really changed any politician’s idea. But we can change the idea people have of how they should live. There’s a big discrepancy on this planet between people who want to live their lives and governments who have other ideas. So I think films enter that discrepancy.”
Wim Wenders added that as filmmakers, “We have to stay out of politics because if we make movies that are dedicatedly political, we enter the field of politics. But we are the counterweight of politics, we are the opposite of politics. We have to do the work of people, not the work of politicians.”
His remarks quickly drew backlash on social media, with many criticizing him for avoiding the issue. At the same time, calls to boycott the Berlin International Film Festival have been gaining momentum. The festival has frequently faced criticism in recent years over issues related to censorship and freedom of expression.
Alongside Wenders, the members of the main competition jury this year include director and producer Min Bahadur Bham (Nepal), actor Bae Doona (South Korea), director, producer, and archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur (India), director, screenwriter, and producer Reinaldo Marcus Green (U.S.), director, screenwriter, and producer HIKARI (Japan), and producer Ewa Puszczyńska (Poland)
