Berlinale’s Response to Gaza Conflict Draws Criticism from Employees

Recently, the Berlinale film festival has come under scrutiny from its own staff regarding its response to the ongoing Gaza conflict. Employees have voiced concerns over what they perceive as the festival's insufficient action and lack of a clear stance on the matter. This internal criticism highlights a growing expectation for cultural events to acknowledge and react responsibly to global political issues. The staff's dissatisfaction points to a broader debate on the role of international film festivals during times of geopolitical unrest and the ethical considerations of proceeding with such events amidst global conflicts. The Berlinale, known for its cinematic celebration and international outreach, now faces the challenging task of balancing its cultural commitments with the sensitivities of global political dynamics.

A statement from Berlinale workers

As Berlinale contractors, who admire the festival’s vocal, principled track record defending humanitarian values, we feel the need to offer a position that builds on the festival’s statement concerning the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza (19 January 2024).

We are painfully aware of the unbearable dynamics of institutional inertia in the cultural sector in Germany, and we recognise the current limits imposed on speech. We want to hold the festival and ourselves to a higher standard. An international platform such as the Berlinale and we, in our roles as programmers, consultants, moderators, facilitators, and space holders, alongside further Berlinale workers, can and should voice dissent at the current assault on Palestinian life.

We join a global solidarity movement to demand an immediate ceasefire and call for the release of all hostages.

Against an ongoing crisis that “appears to be capable of falling within the provisions of the [Genocide] Convention” (quote from the International Court of Justice’s judges), some of us – the undersigned – continue to contribute with our labour at this year’s festival due to our belief in its primary role and significance as an international cultural space, one that has a responsibility to not only raise awareness and foster debate but also amplify the global and pluralistic demands to end oppression, occupation, forced displacement and violence.

In short, call for peace and liberation. This responsibility is aligned with the festival’s past commitments and principles, stances which have earned the Berlinale a uniquely respected position within the cultural landscape. While we acknowledge isolated and minor attempts to create space for exchange, we would expect the programme of this year’s festival to engage more actively and discursively with the urgency and reality of the moment by holding dialogue spaces of its own initiative and design in the big houses we call cinemas.

Instead, we witness no initiatives that invite professionals and/or audiences into a dedicated space of discussion structured in a way that allows for a lengthy encounter between everyone.

As the world bears witness to an inconceivable loss of civilian life in Gaza – including those of journalists, artists, and film workers – as well as the destruction of unique cultural heritage, we need stronger institutional stances. We expect the festival to take a stance that is consistent with those taken in response to other events that have struck the international community in recent years.

Many members of the German and the international film community who have continuously believed in and contributed to the Berlinale’s profile of excellence expect it to both firmly support and actively contribute to a more just world. Of course, the Berlinale is not an exception and these expectations extend to the broader worlds of film and culture internationally, whose responses to the ongoing war of aggression have been largely defined by silence and neutrality.

Grounded in an intersectional and anti-discrimination perspective, we stand with everyone taking steps to resist the rise of far-right nationalist movements worldwide and all forms of discrimination including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. We claim the 74. Berlinale to be a place of key importance to speak truth to power and are hoping to navigate this edition in contributing to an atmosphere of exchange, encounter and generosity.