The resignation of the director of the Berlin Film Festival is called for because of the artists’ statements on Gaza

of Berlin the film festival started an uproar in Germany, with which the festival director Tricia Tuttle might even get fired. In support of Tuttle, German and international filmmakers have published an open letter, which had already collected more than 2,800 signatures on Friday, film media Variety reports.

The festival ended on Sunday, February 22. Among the signatories are, among others, the director Sean Baker and actor Tilda Swinton.

Foaming is related to the situation in Gaza and the statements in defense of Palestine presented by some artists at the film festival. According to Euronews, several award recipients drew attention to the situation in Gaza at Saturday night’s award ceremony.

For example, a Palestinian director Abdullah Al-Khatib accused the German government of being “Israel’s accomplice in the Gaza genocide”, which is why the environment minister Carsten Schneider left the award ceremony. A film directed by Al-Khatib Chronicles From The Siege won the Berlin Film Festival’s Perspectives competition series, which awards debut films.

Germany’s Minister of Culture Wolfram Weimar on Thursday invited the Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes in Berlin, or KBB, which organizes the Berlinale and other cultural events in the city, to an emergency meeting, where According to Euronews discussed the Tricia Tuttle situation. Deutsche Wellen face Discussions between KBB and Tuttle will continue in the coming days. According to Euronews, Weimar and Tuttle agree that it is not possible for Tuttle to continue in the position.

“The Berlinale cannot support incitement, intimidation or anti-Semitism. Hate directed at Israel has no place there — especially when it is funded by taxpayers,” Weimar said after Thursday’s meeting.

Tricia Tuttle has managed the Berlinale for only two festivals, but already when he took the job he warnedthat Germany’s impression of restrictions on freedom of speech in relation to the Middle East conflict directly affected the Berlin Film Festival.

After Saturday’s awards ceremony, several German politicians called the speeches unacceptable, anti-Semitic and malicious, but the Berlinale answered everything heard on Saturday complied with Germany’s freedom of speech laws.