As of: February 25, 2024, 7:16 p.m
Comments
Press
Split
Kai Wegner (CDU), Governing Mayor of Berlin.
© Soeren Stache/dpa
Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) strongly criticized the event following the Berlinale Gala on Saturday evening.
“What happened yesterday at the Berlinale was an intolerable relativization.
Anti-Semitism has no place in Berlin, and that also applies to the art scene,” wrote Wegner on Sunday on the platform X, formerly Twitter.
Berlin - He expects the new Berlinale management to ensure that “such incidents” do not happen again.
During the awards ceremony on Saturday evening, several filmmakers commented on the Gaza war in a way that caused criticism.
According to critics, what was particularly striking was that those involved made one-sided accusations against Israel without mentioning the Hamas massacre.
The filmmaker Ben Russell, for example, spoke on stage of a “genocide”.
In addition, several people on stage carried a note that said “Ceasefire Now”.
Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra called on Germany to stop supplying weapons to Israel.
Adra made the documentary “No Other Land” with three other filmmakers and won the documentary film award for it.
The film is about the displacement of Palestinians in the villages of Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the West Bank.
“Berlin has a clear stance when it comes to freedom.
Berlin is firmly on Israel’s side.
There is no doubt about that.
Full responsibility for the deep suffering in Israel and the Gaza Strip lies with Hamas,” added Wegner, who himself was in the audience on Saturday evening.
Hamas alone has the power to “end this suffering by releasing all hostages and laying down their weapons.”
Berlin's Senator for Culture Joe Chialo also found clear words: "Culture should provide space for diverse political expressions of opinion, but this year's Berlinale awards ceremony was characterized by self-righteous anti-Israel propaganda that does not belong on the stages in Berlin," the CDU politician wrote on Sunday X. It is to be hoped that the festival management will deal with the incidents consistently.
dpa