Berlinale Issues Statement Following Political Backlash at Festival, Says Artists Should Not Be ‘Expected to Speak on Every Political Issue’
The Berlin Film Festival has issued a lengthy statement from head Tricia Tuttle over what it describes as a “media storm” that has swept over the festival.
The note — sent out late on Saturday night — comes following criticism faced by multiple attendees over the comments about politics, most notably the jury in the opening day press conference. Faced with questions about the conflict in Gaza, jury head Wim Wenders said, “We have to stay out of politics because if we make movies that are dedicatedly political, we enter the field of politics,” prompting immediate backlash on social media. Indian author Arundhati Roy later pulled out of the festival in anger over the comments.
Both Michelle Yeoh and Neil Patrick Harris later faced online criticism for their reaction to questions about politics and the rise of facism, Harris...
