Marie-Lou Sellem, Julia von Heinz, Alice Brauner and Dusan Tekkal hold photos of Israeli hostage David Kunio on the red carpet at the opening gala of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival Berlinale, Berlin, Germany, 13 February 2025.
Photo: Annegret Hilse/Reuters
The 75th Berlinale International Film Festival kicked off on Thursday, but the opening of the event was marked not only by cinematic events, but also by a powerful political gesture. The new director of the festival, Tricia Tuttle, together with famous German actors, took part in a solidarity action with Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. This was reported by The Jerusalem Post.
On the red carpet, the protesters held a portrait of David Kunio, the actor who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October 2023. Cunio has a special connection with the Berlinale, as in 2013 he starred in Tom Shoval ‘s film Youth, which was presented at the festival. This year, the director dedicated a new documentary, Letter to David, to him, which tells the story of his life.
The action was organised by the group Bring David Home Now, which published an open letter signed by more than 100 filmmakers, including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michelle Franco, Ari Folman and Max Wiedemann. In the letter, they stressed that Kunio and his brother Ariel are still being held in the underground tunnels of Gaza and called for their immediate release.
The festival will also present another hostage documentary, Holding Liat, directed by Brandon Kramer and produced by Darren Aronofsky, which tells the story of the kidnapped Liat Acili.
Political statements and silence about Israel
In her opening speech, Tricia Tuttle stressed that the Berlinale remains a platform for open dialogue, given the difficult political context.
At the same time, the winner of the Golden Bear, British actress Tilda Swinton, touched on global tragedies in her speech, without directly mentioning Israel or Hamas. She stated:
“Inhumanity is happening before our eyes. I am here to call it out without hesitation or doubt.”
The actress also noted that the festival is “immune to occupation, colonisation and usurpation”. Some saw her words as a reference to the US initiative to rebuild Gaza after the war.
Thus, Berlinale 2024 became not only a celebration of cinema, but also an arena for loud political messages and actions in support of the abducted Israelis.
