Hot button topics like the Berlinale disinviting AfD politicians, the Israel-Gaza war and Vladimir Putin were on the agenda as the 2024 Berlin Film Festival got underway.
Jury president Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave, Black Panther) said she hoped political debate among Berlin international jury would center around film and the 20 competition titles to be viewed over the next 11 days. “When we were debating this as a jury, Oksana (Zabuzhko) said everything is political. And I think that’s true, in art. What we’re here to do is to see how artists are responding to the world we’re living in right now,” Nyong’o answered when asked how it felt to be a festival jury president in “these crazy times.”
Other jury members were more willing to directly address hot potatoes tossed in their direction during a heated press conference on Thursday. That included repeated queries about the Berlinale sparking controversy by first inviting, and then dis-inviting members of Germany’s far-right AfD party to its opening night gala.
German director and juror Christian Petzold (Afire) sided with the Berlin festival organizers in not objecting to AfD politicians in the opening night audience on Thursday night. “I think it’s not a problem to have five persons of the AfD in the audience. We’re not cowards. If we can’t stand five persons from the AfD as part of the audience, we’ll lose our fight,” Petzold said.
The German director, well known to Berlinale audiences, added that controversy around the AfD politicians disinvited after a filmmaker backlash only raised their political profile. “These questions make them stronger than they are. We’ve been discussing for many days five (AfD) people in the audience. And there’s hundreds of thousands of people demonstrating against them and they’re much more important than this kind of discussion,” Petzold added.
Italian actress, director and fellow juror Jasmine Trinca echoed support for German far right politicians in the first-night audience as a possible teaching moment. “Imagine if you have those five fascists looking at the films shown at the Berlinale – perhaps it might help then broaden their minds a bit,” she declared.
Oscar winner Nyong’o chose to bat aside the question of the Berlinale’s abrupt u-turn on having AfD politicans attend its opening. “I’m a foreigner here. I don’t know the in’s and out’s of the political situation here. I’m glad I don’t have to answer that question. I’m glad I don’t have to be in that position,” she told the 40-minute press conference.
Berlin’s international jury will choose from among 20 competition titles for which filmmakers will take home the Golden Bear and Silver Bear trophies this year. That includes the Golden Bear for best film going to the movie’s producers and the Silver Bear grand jury prize. The award winners will be announced on Feb. 24.
Elsewhere during the presser, Spanish director Albert Serra was asked about a 2022 Spanish magazine interview in which he was quoted as saying he “admired” populist politicians like Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, and had that impression of the Russian leader changed with his country’s invasion of Ukraine.
“This political question of which you refer has changed because there’s war and everyone is upset with Russia. But my opinion is not relevant in this context. It’s much more complex than to say this is good people, this is bad people,” Serra answered.
That opened the way for Ukrainian novelist, poet and activist Oksana Zabuzhko, who has received a 10-day reprieve from the war with Russia in her country by joining the Berlin jury, to deliver her own view on Serra and Putin when asked.
“I was intrigued to hear Albert’s answer. Well, there’s good news because last night we were sitting together at the dinner, and Albert said he bought my recent book about this war. So I hope he’ll educate himself,” Zabuzhko said.
That led fellow jury member Brady Corbet, an American actor and director (Vox Lux), to defend Serra. “I can’t imagine that what he was saying was not in humor and without nuance. I’m sure it was much more nuanced than that soundbite presents.”
The issue of easing or ending the Israel-Gaza war also came up and Petzold, who along with Nyong’o in December signed an open letter backing calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, decided against weighing in.
“I don’t want to answer this question here because it’s not really one that belongs in this press conference. I’m in favor of peace. I’m in favor of discussing, talking, which is something we’ll do as a jury,” Petzold said.
But the German director added he hoped for debate in the jury room during deliberations, and not declarations. “If it’s about statements, it’s a bit boring, to be quite frank,” Petzold said.
The 2024 Berlinale kicks off today with the world premiere and in-competition screening of Small Things Like These from director Tim Mielants. The Irish drama stars Oppenheimer Oscar hopeful Cillian Murphy in a period drama set in 1980s Ireland and centered on abuses carried out by the Catholic Church.
The Berlin Film Festival lineup this year also includes movies featuring the likes of Rooney Mara, Isabelle Huppert, Renate Reinsve, Sebastian Stan and Gael Garcia Bernal.