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Nearly 100 actors and filmmakers signed an open letter on Tuesday calling out the Berlin Film Festival for its “silence” on Gaza after the festival defended the right to avoid political questions.
Variety revealed that at least 93 current and former Berlin Film Festival participants — including Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton, Tatiana Maslany and Javier Bardem — condemned the organization after festival jury head and German filmmaker Wim Wenders fielded several questions regarding the conflict in Gaza, claiming filmmaking was “the opposite of politics.”
“You cannot separate one from the other. We are deeply concerned that the German state-funded Berlinale is helping put into practice what Irene Khan, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Opinion recently condemned as Germany’s misuse of draconian legislation ‘to restrict advocacy for Palestinian rights, chilling public participation and shrinking discourse in academia and the arts,'” the letter read.
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The letter also came after festival head Tricia Tuttle issued a statement defending actors and filmmakers who were avoiding political questions at press events.
“We do not believe there is a filmmaker screening in this festival who is indifferent to what is happening in this world, who does not take the rights, the lives and the immense suffering of people in Gaza and the West Bank, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Sudan, in Iran, in Ukraine, in Minneapolis, and in a terrifying number of places, seriously,” Tuttle said.
She added, “Artists are free to exercise their right of free speech in whatever way they choose. Artists should not be expected to comment on all broader debates about a festival’s previous or current practices over which they have no control. Nor should they be expected to speak on every political issue raised to them unless they want to.”
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The letter claimed that the festival was censoring criticism of Israel’s “genocide” and demanded it issue a statement in favor of the Palestinian cause.
“We call on the Berlinale to fulfil its moral duty and clearly state its opposition to Israel’s genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes against Palestinians, and completely end its involvement in shielding Israel from criticism and calls for accountability,” the letter concluded.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Berlin Film Festival for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
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The letter followed a September pledge from more than 1,000 Hollywood figures — including actors, directors and producers — to boycott Israeli film institutions.
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The Berlin Film Festival recieved widespread attention after some attendees, including actors Michelle Yeoh and Neil Patrick Harris, declined to comment on political issues while discussing their projects.