Monday, February 16
Berlinale might not attract the Hollywood level of fame as film festivals like Cannes or Venice, but you’ll find plenty of stars milling around Berlin this week. Kylie Jenner, Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, Channing Tatum and Bella Ramsey are or will be in town for the Berlinale.
Callum Turner and Pamela Anderson were photographed at the premiere for Rosebush Pruning on Saturday, while Dua Lipa made a surprise appearance as Turner’s plus one, as their engagement has been officially confirmed. During press questions, Turner was asked about being a favourite choice for the next James Bond, to which he answered, “It’s very early for that question,” followed by, “I’m not going to comment on it, thank you.”
Hundreds of fans also gathered at Zoo Palast to welcome musician Charli xcx for the premiere of her movie The Moment, a mockumentary based on her life experience as a pop star. “The crowd was not even that big at the Berlinale opening,” said one of the police officers; indeed, it was easy to find room just a few people back from the red carpet before she arrived.
Last week, Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman to receive the Honorary Golden Bear. In her speech, she shared, “The Berlin Film Festival has always been a very special place for me,” adding, “This award is about my journey and career over nearly 40 years, and how persistent and stubborn I have been,” and that “the journey included fighting against stereotypical roles assigned to Asian actors.”
Berlinale has been a worldwide topic of discussion this weekend as German filmmaker Wim Wenders, when asked about the about the state of the world, including the war in Gaza, faced criticism for claiming that “movies can change the world” but “not in a political way” and that filmmakers “have to stay out of politics because if we make movies that are dedicatedly political, we enter the field of politics. But we are the counterweight of politics, we are the opposite of politics.” Consequently, Arundhati Roy, author of The God of Small Things, has withdrawn from the festival, stating, “To hear them say that art should not be political is jaw-dropping.”
Berlinale Director Tricia Tuttle has responded to the controversy with a statement, saying that filmmakers “are criticised if they cannot compress complex thoughts into a brief sound bite when a microphone is placed in front of them when they thought they were speaking about something else.” She also stated, “Artists should not be expected to comment on all broader debates about a festival’s previous or current practices over which they have no control. Nor should they be expected to speak on every political issue raised to them unless they want to.”
