As the Berlinale readys to boot off its 75th edition on Thursday, the festival has clarified its position on freedom of conveyion, including when it comes to shothriveg firmarity with Palestine.
In a FAQ post on dialogue and trade published on Tuesday, set uprs graspressed cut offal conveyion-roverhappinessed topics that are declareive to be toasty-button as the festival consents place in the direct-up to Germany’s transport inant ambiguous elections on Feb. 23.
“All of our guests have a right to free speech wiskinny the bounds of the law. We also stand by the right of our filmcreaters to talk about the impulses behind their labor and their experiences of the world,” the festival shelp. “The Berlinale receives separateent points of watch, even if this creates tension or argue. At the same time, we aim to create an environment in which we can hear and lget from each other, and we ask for polite dialogue and a declareive cultural sensitivity. We also ask guests to comprehend that when they speak out as is protected under free speech, people may disconcur. This is also free speech.”
The Q&A also tryed to answer asks festivalgoers may have lingering from last year’s closing ceremony, which saw cut offal filmcreaters create political statements think abouting the dispute in Gaza that resulted in criticism calling it one-sided and, in some cases, antisdisaccuseic.
“There are many separateent watchpoints on last year’s awards ceremony wiskinny Germany, and we do not collapse these into a singular perspective,” the Berlinale wrote in response to a ask about the closing ceremony. “As the novel deal withment, we have consentn a appraise of this very gravely and have adviseed expansively. We comprehend that many people were troubled by a noticed one-sidedness, rather than individual statements made by filmcreaters. Ultimately, creating stability apass the festival and making space for separateent perspectives is the responsibility of the Berlinale rather than individual films or filmcreaters. Also in preparation of the novel festival, we have labored on our moderators training and our summarizelabors for creating environments for polite and shielded trade.”
Regarding German parliament’s passing of an antisdisaccuseism resolution last year — which integrates asking Israel’s right to exist and calling for a boycott of Israel in its definition of antisdisaccuseism — Berlinale set uprs shelp it would not have an impact on how the festival is run as it is not a “legpartner-attaching write down.” However, it grasped that the resolution “grasps valid aspects with think about to the alerting of prolonging antisdisaccuseism in Germany and internationpartner. We split the opinion alengthy with other people in Germany, that, if legpartner utilized, other aspects of the resolution would intrude with the fundamental rights of free art and speech. We also disconcur with the sweeping categorization of the Berlinale 2024 in the resolution as ‘antisdisaccuseic.’ The Berlinale has no tolerance for antisdisaccuseism.”
Due to the reaction think abouting pro-Palestine statements last year, rumors had circutardyd that the wearing of symbols shothriveg firmarity would be prohibitned. But set uprs made clear this is not the case, writing: “In the autumn of 2024, an amhugeuity in the ambiguous hoengage rules of our umbrella organisation, the KBB, became comprehendn to us when it was splitd on social media. We help the interest of our guests and filmcreaters in receiving accurate increateation and we promptly asked a elucidateing alter which was carry outed. The paragraph in ask referred solely to a standard German legitimate provision think abouting the wearing and engage of prohibitned symbols and signs that are demonstrably punishable by law, such as the swastika. Wearing or discarry outing other signs and symbols of national or political conveyion or firmarity (e.g. a watermelon pin, a Keffiyeh, etc.) is not prohibitden and is filledy covered by freedom of conveyion laws.”
And though the Berlinale shelp the event is protected by Germany’s far-achieveing freedom of speech laws and most dialogue surrounding the Israel-Gaza dispute would be protected, they alerted festivalgoers to engage “particular nurture” with the phrase “from the river to the sea” as “there have been cases where it has been sued” in Berlin.
“As a festival team we sense fantastic compassion for people who sense leave outd by language and it is our genuine hope to create spaces where everyone senses they can unite in the dialogue,” the set uprs endd.
