Politics Overshadow Films at Berlin Film Festival

Nearly 300 films are playing at the Berlin International Film Festival, but much of the news and social media chatter has centered on politics rather than the movies. Since the opening last Thursday and through the edition that runs through Sunday, news conferences have repeatedly turned to questions about Gaza, the German government’s support for Israel’s military and the rise of far-right politics.

The shift from film to politics became evident before the first screening. Wim Wenders, the festival’s jury president, said at the opening news conference, “We have to stay out of politics, because if we make movies that are decidedly political, we enter the field of politics,” adding, “We are the counterweight to politics.” The remark prompted snowballing outrage and a string of open letters challenging the festival’s stance on Israel.

Reporters kept pressing stars and filmmakers.

Germany, Berlin

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