Movies can change the world, but not politically, says Berlin Film Festival juror Wim Wenders
German filmmaker Wim Wenders urged his peers to avoid political entanglements and instead focus on influencing how people think, speaking Thursday at the opening of the Berlin Film Festival.
Long viewed as more politically minded than Venice or Cannes, the Berlinale has faced repeated criticism from pro-Palestinian activists for not taking a stronger stance on Gaza—contrasting with its vocal positions on the war in Ukraine and the situation in Iran.
When asked about the German government’s response to the Gaza conflict, Wenders replied, “We must stay out of politics. If we make films that are explicitly political, we cross into the realm of politics—but our work is to be the counterweight to it.
”Germany’s measured stance on Gaza has drawn criticism for what some perceive as excessive caution, often linked to the nation’s lingering historical guilt over the Holocaust.Speaking as head of this year’s seven-member international jury, the 80-year-old director added, “We have to do the work of people—not the work of politicians.”Moments after the Gaza-related question, the livestream of the press conference abruptly cut out.
The journalist who posed the question accused organizers of censorship. Festival officials later apologized, citing technical issues, and pledged to release the full recording online.Wenders, whose career spans from Wings of Desire in the 1980s to 2023’s Perfect Days, described serving on the Berlinale jury as a singular experience.“In Berlin, you see more sides of the world than at any other festival—that’s the great strength of the Berlinale,” he said.
Festival organizers continue to face scrutiny over their stance on Gaza, with pro-Palestinian groups calling for a boycott. The 2024 closing ceremony drew backlash from German politicians after some winners expressed solidarity with Palestinians and criticized Israel’s actions following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack.“Movies can change the world—not politically. No film has ever changed a politician’s mind,” Wenders reflected.
“But films can change how people think about their own lives.”This year’s Berlinale opened Thursday evening with No Good Men and will conclude on February 21, when Wenders and his fellow jurors award the Golden Bear to one of 22 films in competition.The jury includes four members from Asia: Nepalese director Min Bahadur Bham, South Korean actor Bae Doona, Indian filmmaker and archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, and Japanese director Hikari. They are joined by U.S. director Reinaldo Marcus Green, of King Richard fame, and acclaimed Polish producer Ewa Puszczynska.