Hundreds of filmmakers, including acclaimed director Tom Tykwer, actor Tilda Swinton and former jury head and filmmaker Todd Haynes, have signed an open letter opposing the possible dismissal of the current Berlin Film Festival director due in part for posing with a Palestinian flag, press reports said Thursday.
"As filmmakers in Germany and beyond, we are following the current debates surrounding the Berlinale and the proposed dismissal of Tricia Tuttle with deep concern. We stand in defense of the Berlinale for what it fundamentally is: a place of exchange,” German daily Tagesspiegel cited the letter as saying.
"A photograph of the festival leadership with filmmakers, in which a Palestinian flag was visible, has likewise been subject to criticism. Being photographed with international guests is part of the practice of such a festival. The visibility of different identities is not an endorsement; it is an expression of an open and democratic public sphere,” the filmmakers added.
The petition comes ahead of a planned Thursday extraordinary meeting called by German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer of the Berlin Film Festival’s governing body to discuss its "future direction.” It is widely believed that the meeting has been convened in response to criticism of political statements made at the festival.
"If an extraordinary meeting is convened to decide the future of the festival’s leadership, more is at stake than a single appointment. What is at issue is the relationship between artistic freedom and institutional independence,” stated the signatories, who vowed "to stand for a culture of exchange, not intimidation.”
On Feb. 18, dozens of actors and directors, including Swinton and Javier Bardem, accused the Berlin International Film Festival of "anti-Palestinian racism" and urged organizers to clearly state their opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
In an open letter published in Variety magazine, 81 film workers criticized what they called the Berlinale’s "involvement in censoring artists who oppose Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.”
The signatories also took issue with comments by this year’s jury president, filmmaker Wim Wenders, who told a recent press briefing when asked about Gaza: "We should stay out of politics.”
