US Edition'Stormy seas' of Gaza row overshadow Berlin film fest finale
Protests and political debate over Gaza overshadow Berlin Film Festival's closing events, shifting media focus from films to activism and public discourse.
- After 10 days, the 76th Berlin Film Festival closed in Berlin as a Gaza row overshadowed the event, with the director describing the days as `stormy seas` on Feb 21, 2026.
- On Tuesday, dozens of industry figures accused the festival of silence on the Gaza conflict, while Wim Wenders said `We cannot really enter the field of politics`, sparking backlash.
- At the Independent Juries awards, a filmmaker protested civilian deaths in Gaza and US immigration policy, shouting `ICE out!` and citing `More than 17,000 kids have been killed in Gaza in the last two years`.
- Despite withdrawals and outrage, the awards will proceed, with the Golden Bear to be awarded today at 1700 GMT by the International Jury.
- Amid the Gaza row, Iranian filmmakers used the Berlinale to address a deadly crackdown on protests, with dissident director Jafar Panahi denouncing `It is the regime that forces violence upon them,` and `People are not even allowed to mourn their loved ones.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Radio France Internationale
'Stormy seas' of Gaza row overshadow Berlin film fest finale
(Berlin = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Gye-yeon = The 76th Berlin International Film Festival ended on the 22nd (local time) after causing an uproar due to the controversy surrounding the war in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. According to German media, Palestinian Abdallah Al-Khatib, who won the Best New Director Award in the Perspective category at the film festival awards ceremony the previous evening, targeted the German government, saying, "Yo…
The genocide in Gaza was a topic of discussion at the closing ceremony of the Berlin Film Festival. Several award-winning directors raised their voices for Palestine at the closing ceremony. A Syrian of Palestinian origin has accused the German government of being involved in the genocide being carried out by Israel in Gaza.
76th Berlin Film Festival ends amid political controversy and Gaza debate
The 76th Berlin Film Festival has come to an end, but headlines extended far beyond the films screened at the prestigious event. While the festival featured powerful stories ranging from intimate family dramas to sweeping 17th-century historical narratives, it was overshadowed by heated debate surrounding political issues. The controversy erupted after jury president Wim Wenders sparked backlash with his comments regarding political engagement. …
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