The Berlinale’s international jury at a press conference on the festival’s opening day on Feb. 12. The jury fielded questions about Gaza and, more broadly, about politics and film.
John MacDougall/AFP via Getty Images
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John MacDougall/AFP via Getty Images
The biggest talk at the Berlin International Film Festival in recent days wasn’t about which film would take home the prestigious Golden Bear award, but a remark made on opening day by the festival’s jury president, German filmmaker Wim Wenders. When a journalist asked the jury about human rights and Gaza, Wenders replied, “We have to stay out of politics.”
He called filmmakers “the counterweight to politics.” Over the course of the festival, multiple films pulled out of the program, citing solidarity with Palestine; author Arundhati Roy dropped out due to what she called “unconscionable statements” made by members of the jury; Kaouther Ben Hania, director of the Oscar-nominated film The Voice of Hind Rajab, refused to accept an award at a gala hosted by the Cinema for Peace Foundation.
Trisha Tuttle, the festival’s director, released a lengthy statement titled, “On Speaking, Cinema and Politics,” writing, “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.”
She wrote, “Artists are free to exercise their right of free speech in whatever way they choose.”
Still, more than 100 artists, including Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, and Adam McKay, have signed an open letter published in Variety condemning the Berlinale for “censoring artists who oppose Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and the German state’s key role in enabling it.”
(The German government provides significant funding for the festival.)
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Tuttle said she understood the “pain and anger and urgency” behind the letter, but rejected any allegations of censorship. “It’s not true that we are silencing filmmakers. It’s not true that our programmers are intimidating filmmakers. In fact, the opposite,” she said.
Unlike sun-drenched Cannes or the lakeside charm of Locarno, the Berlinale unfolds in the depths of winter at Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz, arriving on the heels of Sundance Film Festival. Since its establishment in 1951 during the Cold War, the Berlinale has become known as the most politically outspoken of the major festivals. This reputation is not only due to its programming choices but also its history of addressing global crises, such as in 2023 when it denounced Russia’s war on Ukraine and showed solidarity with protesters in Iran. Despite its vocal stance on various issues, critics point out that the Berlinale has not addressed the situation in Gaza. However, amidst all this, the films showcased at the festival spoke for themselves. This year’s selection included a mix of personal and political narratives, highlighting stories from bustling Lagos, 1930s Australia, and family traditions in Guinea-Bissau.
One standout film from the competition was “Rose,” directed by Markus Schleinzer and Alexander Brom. This black-and-white period piece set in early 17th century Germany follows Sandra Hüller as a mysterious soldier named Rose who disguises herself as a man to claim an abandoned farm in an isolated Protestant village. Her journey to build a life while concealing her true identity addresses themes of gender, privilege, and belonging.
Another notable film was “Lady” by Olive Nwosu, a debut feature that captures the vibrant energy of Lagos through the story of a female cab driver named Lady. When she is offered a lucrative job chauffeuring sex workers, Lady is confronted with her past and the complexities of their shared experiences, showcasing the solidarity and nuances of the city.
Lastly, “Wolfram” by director Warwick Thornton tells a touching tale of redemption in the Australian desert during the 1930s. Following two Aboriginal children escaping from a mining camp, the film explores their resilience and survival against the backdrop of colonialism.
Overall, these films at the Berlinale exemplified a blend of storytelling that resonated with audiences and highlighted pressing social issues.
Dao
Mike Etienne and D’Johé Kouadio.
Les Films du Worso – Srab Films – Yennenga Productions – Nafi Films – Telecine Bissau Produções – Canal+ Afrique
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Les Films du Worso – Srab Films – Yennenga Productions – Nafi Films – Telecine Bissau Produções – Canal+ Afrique
It wasn’t until more than halfway through director Alain Gomis’ sprawling film that I realized it wasn’t a documentary. In an on-screen process, Gomis brings professional actors and non-actors together, casting them as members of the same extended family. Spanning nearly three hours and unfolding across two ceremonies, a wedding in France and a ritual in Guinea-Bissau, Dao dissolves the boundaries between reality and fiction to offer a meditation on the cyclical nature of life, people and traditions. The question of whether the film is “truly” a documentary is by design. It is precisely this uncertainty that Gomis invites us to sit with, blurring categories so completely that the distinction begins to feel beside the point.
