The Berlin Film Festival has filed criminal charges after its Instagram account for the Panorama section was hacked and used to spread anti-Semitic messages. The festival organizers have distanced themselves from the content and condemned this criminal act. They have deleted the posts and launched an investigation, with the State Criminal Office (LKA) also involved.
Politically Charged Edition
The Berlinale Film Festival featured politically charged discussions and debates surrounding the war in Ukraine, the war in Palestine, antisemitism, and Germany’s far-right political movements. Some award winners took the opportunity to make further statements during the closing ceremony.
Keffiyeh Worn by Award Winner
U.S. filmmaker Ben Russell accepted an award for his film “Direct Action” in the Encounters section while wearing a keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian solidarity.
Plea for Peace
Basel Adra, co-director of “No Other Land,” used his acceptance speech to urge Germany to respect UN calls and stop sending weapons to Israel. He expressed his difficulty in celebrating while his compatriots in Gaza were being “slaughtered and massacred.”
Berlinale’s Response
The festival released a statement in response to the controversy, acknowledging the perception that some award winners’ statements were one-sided and, in some cases, inappropriate. However, the festival emphasized its role as a platform for open dialogue and the importance of tolerating differing opinions, as long as they do not discriminate against or harm any individuals or groups.
“We want to exchange ideas with other social and political institutions on how to conduct a social discourse on this extremely controversial topic in Germany – with the inclusion of international perspectives – without individual statements being perceived as anti-Semitic or anti-Palestinian. We have to face up to this controversial topic – as an international film festival and as a society as a whole,” said Mariëtte Rissenbeek, the festival’s co-chief.
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