The German and European film academies have thrown their support behind Berlin Film Festival director Tricia Tuttle amid media reports that she is about to be fired following a political backlash over pro-Palestinian speeches at the Berlinale awards ceremony.
“As filmmakers in Germany and beyond, we are following the current debates surrounding the Berlinale and the proposed dismissal of Tricia Tuttle with deep concern,” the German film academy wrote in an open letter. “Recent criticism has focused on statements made from the stage. None of these remarks were made by the festival leadership itself, but by invited filmmakers. An international film festival is not a diplomatic instrument; it is a democratic cultural space worthy of protection. Its strength lies in its ability to hold divergent perspectives and to give visibility to a plurality of voices.”
The letter is signed by the academy, the German directors, screenwriters and distributors and exhibitors associations, and a who’s who of German filmmakers, including Wim Wenders, Volker Schlöndorff, Margarethe von Trotta, Dani Levy, and this year’s Berlinale Golden Bear winner Ilker Çatak (Yellow Letters). Several international directors, including Kleber Mendonça Filho, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Radu Jude, and Oren Moverman, are also signatories.
Earlier, the European Film Academy, Europe Film Promotion and sales body Europa International issued a joint statement in support of Tuttle.
“We look back on a strong and inspiring Berlinale and would like to express our sincere appreciation for the work of Tricia Tuttle as Director of the Festival,” the statement reads. “This year’s Berlinale lineup showcased a remarkable breadth of European cinema and brought together audiences and industry professionals from around the world. Under Tricia Tuttle’s leadership, the Berlinale has reinforced its role as a key international festival and marketplace for European film. We value the artistic vision and commitment she has brought to the festival. We believe her leadership provides a strong foundation for the Berlinale and for European cinema to move forward with confidence into the future.”
The letters are in response to a report that Tuttle is about to be fired. German conservative tabloid Bild reported that the German culture ministry will hold a meeting on Thursday to discuss Tuttle’s future at the festival. Without citing any sources, Bild suggested that Tuttle would be let go, just two years into her five year mandate at Berlinale director.
Bild has been leading a conservative backlash against the Berlinale following Saturday’s award ceremony, where a number of filmmakers made pro-Palestinian statements from the stage. German Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider walked out of the ceremony after Palestinian director Abdallah Al-Khatib, whose film Chronicles From The Siege won the top prize in the Perspectives section, accused the German government of “being partners in the genocide in Gaza by Israel.”
During the ceremony, several filmmakers spoke out against Israel’s military action in Gaza, including Marie-Rose Osta, whose Someday a Child won the Golden Bear for best short film; the best screenplay winner Geneviève Dulude-de Celles (Nina Roza) and Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize winner Emin Alper (Salvation).
On Tuesday, Bild ran a column by right-wing journalist Gunnar Schupelius, who accused Tuttle of having “posed for Gaza propaganda,” citing a photo of the festival director with Al-Khatib and the Chronicles From The Siege crew at the film’s Berlinale world premiere on Feb. 15.
Schupelius took offense at the Palestinian flag the crew members were holding, and the fact that several men were wearing the traditional Palestinian headscarf, or keffiyeh, which he called “the Arafat scarf, the symbol of armed struggle against Israel.” He accused Tuttle of allowing the Berlinale to be used as a tool by “antisemitic” activists.
In its letter, the German film academy dismissed such claims.
“Being photographed with international guests is part of the practice of such a festival. The visibility of different identities is not an endorsement; it is an expression of an open and democratic public sphere,” the letter reads. “When personnel consequences are drawn from individual statements or symbolic interpretations, a troubling signal is sent: cultural institutions come under political pressure.”
The academy warned that threatening to fire Tuttle because of statements made by festival guests would put “artistic freedom” and the “institutional independence” of the Berlinale under threat. The independence of cultural institutions, they argue, “safeguards not only artistic freedom, but the vitality of democratic discourse itself. If every controversy leads to institutional repercussions, discourse gives way to control. We stand for a culture of exchange, not intimidation. Where diversity remains visible, democracy remains alive.”
The Berlinale confirmed the Thursday meeting with the German Culture Ministry but declined to comment further.
Ironically, the controversy comes after two weeks in which pro-Palestinian activists accused Tuttle and this year’s festival jury president Wenders of showing insufficient public solidarity with the Palestinians, even of “censoring” filmmakers who wished to express pro-Palestinian or anti-Israeli views.