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Carlo Chatrian: »Regardless of our own political views and beliefs, we should all remember that freedom of expression is a crucial part of what constitutes democracy«
Photo: Soeren Stache / dpa
The outgoing artistic director of the Berlinale, Carlo Chatrian, stood behind the criticized filmmakers after the controversial final gala of the film festival.
"Regardless of our own political views and beliefs, we should all remember that freedom of expression is a crucial part of what constitutes democracy," wrote Chatrian and Berlinale program director Mark Peranson on Instagram and the X platform.
The awards gala was attacked in such a violent manner that some people now felt their lives were threatened.
This is unacceptable.
"We stand in solidarity with all filmmakers, jury members and other festival guests who have received direct or indirect threats and stand behind the decisions for the program of this year's Berlinale," it continued.
Chatrian and Peranson recalled both the suffering of the Israeli hostages at the hands of Hamas and the people of Gaza whose lives are in danger.
They demanded the release of the hostages.
»Mourning for people on the one hand does not mean that we do not also mourn the loss of everyone else.
To claim otherwise is simply dishonest, shameful and polarizing.”
During the gala last Saturday, the Middle East conflict was discussed several times.
Numerous jury members and award winners called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war verbally or with badges.
Statements spoke of “apartheid” in the context of the situation in the territories occupied by Israel and of “genocide” with regard to the army's actions in Gaza.
Afterwards there was criticism including accusations of hatred of Israel and anti-Semitism.
The Israeli filmmaker Yuval Abraham spoke about the politics of apartheid.
He was honored with the Palestinian Basel Adra in an Israeli-Palestinian collective for the film "No Other Land" about settlement policy in the West Bank.
Abraham says he has been receiving death threats ever since.
His family was also threatened.
Chatrian and Peranson wrote of the hope that the Berlinale would remain a "window to the free world" and a place where all films could be shown.
"A place where every international guest can come without having their political views checked." They referred to statements by the director of the Anne Frank educational institution, Meron Mendel.
"It would be wrong to describe all those who criticize Israel one-sidedly and sometimes with radical positions as anti-Semites," Mendel told the dpa news agency.
"Whether we like it or not, we have to learn to endure such debates."
In the aftermath of the Berlinale, Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth was also heavily criticized.
In the SPIEGEL interview she spoke about the allegations.
svs/dpa