Filmmakers back Berlin festival chief after director’s Gaza ‘genocide’ speech sparks row
Writers group says possible firing of Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle over Abdallah Al-Khatib’s anti-Israel comments would mean ‘wanton destruction of German cultural scene’
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BERLIN — Actors and filmmakers rushed to defend the head of the Berlin film festival Thursday following a media report that her job was on the line over a director’s anti-Israel speech at the event.
Syrian-Palestinian filmmaker Abdallah Al-Khatib kicked off a controversy during Saturday’s closing ceremony by accusing Germany of being complicit in “genocide” in Gaza through its support for Israel.
German tabloid Bild had reported that Tricia Tuttle was due to be dismissed at an emergency meeting on Thursday, citing sources close to state-owned KBB, the company that runs the festival.
Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer’s office confirmed the meeting had taken place but made no mention of Tuttle being sacked, stating that discussions had been “constructive and open” and would “continue in the coming days.”
A group of cinema luminaries, including Tilda Swinton, Todd Haynes, Sean Baker and Tom Tykwer signed an open letter defending the Berlinale as a forum for free expression.
“As filmmakers in Germany and beyond, we are following the debates surrounding the Berlinale and the discussion about the dismissal of Tricia Tuttle with great concern,” they wrote. “We defend the Berlinale for what it is: A place of exchange.”
Angry rows over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have repeatedly rocked the Berlinale, held every February as Europe’s first major film festival of the year.
Environment Minister Carsten Schneider walked out of Saturday’s closing ceremony, labeling Khatib’s remarks “unacceptable.”
Germany, which has a special relationship with Israel due to the horrors of the Holocaust, has been a steadfast supporter of Israel, and criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza has been more muted than in many other countries.
Conservative lawmaker Ellen Demuth was among those who condemned the “antisemitic incident” at the awards ceremony and urged “a fresh start at the top of the film festival.”
The Berlinale Team, in an Instagram post, defended Tuttle, praising her “clarity, integrity and artistic vision.”
Der Gewinner des besten Spielfilmdebüts („Chronicles from the Siege“) Abdallah Alkhatib bei der Berlinale!
Er bezeichnet die deutsche Regierung als Partner des Völkermords in Gaza. Nutzen wir die Räume, die sich bieten. Und wer peinlich berührt ist, ist eben peinlich berührt. pic.twitter.com/N8bNOqu6Ed
— Shoura Hashemi (@ShouraHashemi) February 21, 2026
The writers’ association PEN Berlin said Khatib’s comments were protected by freedom of expression and that if Tuttle were to be sacked over them, it would cause “immense damage” to the festival.
“Such wanton destruction of the German cultural scene, such self-inflicted insularity, must not be allowed to happen,” it said.
The backdrop of the Middle East conflict led to a tense 76th edition of the festival from the start.
More than 80 film professionals criticized the Berlinale’s “silence” on the Gaza war in an open letter, accusing the festival of censoring artists “who reject the genocide” they believe Israel has committed in Gaza.
Israel strongly rejects the accusation, saying the campaign in Gaza – which was launched after the Hamas terror group invaded Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages – only targeted combatants, and that Hamas intentionally puts Palestinian civilians in harm’s way.
Award-winning Indian writer Arundhati Roy withdrew from the festival after the jury president, German director Wim Wenders, said cinema should “stay out of politics” when asked about Gaza.
The Times of Israel Community.