Berlinale Press Conference Interrupted by Journalist’s Question on Palestine
The opening jury press conference of the Berlin Film Festival faced tension on Thursday when a journalist raised a controversial question regarding the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. The event marked the beginning of the Berlinale’s 76th edition, featuring jury president Wim Wenders alongside notable members including Nepalese director Min Bahadur Bham, South Korean actor Bae Doona, Indian archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, U.S. director Reinaldo Marcus Green, Japanese talent HIKARI, and Polish producer Ewa Puszczyńska.
Initially, the mood was light as Festival Director Tricia Tuttle prompted the panel with an inquiry about their excitement for film. However, the atmosphere shifted when a German journalist implied that while the Berlinale has shown support for countries like Iran and Ukraine, it has neglected Palestine. He pointed out the German government’s backing of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The journalist framed his question in reference to an earlier remark by Puszczyńska concerning cinema’s potential for global change. He asked, “In light of the German government’s support of the genocide in Gaza and its role as the main funder of the Berlinale, do you as a member of the jury support this selective treatment of human rights?” At that moment, the live feed experienced technical difficulties, cutting off the broadcast. The organizers noted, “We are having technical problems with the signal. No censorship. We will have the recording of the whole press conference online later today.”
Inside the conference room, Puszczyńska responded to the question, expressing her concern over its fairness. “Asking this question is a little bit unfair. We use the words ‘change the world’ but of course, we are trying to talk to every single viewer, to make them think that we cannot be responsible for what that decision would be—the decision to support Israel or Palestine,” she stated.
She further articulated the complexity of the issue, remarking, “There are many wars with genocides, and we do not talk about that. So this is a very complicated question… it’s a bit unfair asking us how we support… not support our governments… Because that’s the politicians. I’m speaking for myself—I go to elections, I vote using my pride, as a citizen of Poland and as a citizen of Europe, of the world.”
Wenders added his perspective, emphasizing the jury’s stance on political matters. “We have to stay out of politics… We are the counterweight of politics, the opposite of politics; we have to do the work of people—not the work of politicians,” he concluded.
