Director challenges jury head, calls Gaza violence genocide at Berlin film festival

Tuesday 17 February 2026 - 12:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Director challenges jury head, calls Gaza violence genocide at Berlin film festival

The 76th Berlin International Film Festival has been shaken by controversy after jury president Wim Wenders said filmmakers should “stay out of politics,” prompting public withdrawals and sharp responses over the festival’s stance on Gaza.

The latest intervention came on February 15, when Turkish director Emin Alper used the world premiere of his competition film “Kurtuluş” at the Berlinale Palast to directly challenge Wenders’ remarks. Addressing the audience, Alper described the situation in Gaza as a “genocide” and said only a strong international reaction could halt the violence. He added that, in his view, the world had abandoned Palestinians.

The dispute began at the festival’s opening press conference on February 12. Journalist Tilo Jung questioned Wenders about Germany’s support for Israel while the German government also funds the Berlinale. In response, the German filmmaker said artists should avoid entering the political arena. He argued that if films are made deliberately political, they become part of politics, and maintained that cinema should serve as a counterweight rather than a participant in political debate.

The comments drew swift criticism. Indian writer Arundhati Roy withdrew from the festival the following day, canceling a scheduled screening of her 1989 film “In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones” in the Classics section. In a statement to The Wire, Roy described the jury president’s remarks as unacceptable and said it was astonishing to suggest that art should remain apolitical. She wrote that if prominent filmmakers and artists cannot speak out, history would judge their silence.

Amid growing scrutiny, Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle issued a detailed statement on February 14 defending the jury against what she called a media storm. She said filmmakers are increasingly pressured to respond to any question put to them and risk criticism whether they decline to answer, offer an unpopular response or struggle to compress complex reflections into brief remarks.

Tuttle emphasized that none of the participating filmmakers are indifferent to global events or dismissive of the rights and suffering of people in Gaza and the West Bank.

The debate follows tensions at last year’s Berlinale, when the documentary “No Other Land,” which examined Israeli military actions in the West Bank, won the award for best documentary. Statements by its co directors prompted accusations of antisemitism from some German politicians and calls to reconsider public funding for the festival.

The renewed controversy highlights the ongoing friction between artistic expression and political accountability at major international cultural events, particularly as the war in Gaza continues to reverberate across European public life.