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Berlinale Grappling With Fresh Israel-Palestine Controversy After Hong Kong Filmmaker Is Investigated By Police For Speech
Berlinale Under Fire After Hong Kong Filmmaker Reads Out Pro-Palestinian Statement
Speaking at the premiere of his film Queerpanorama in the Panorama section on Saturday, Jun Li read out a speech on behalf of its star actor Erfan Shekarriz, who has boycotted the festival this year in protest at his perception that it is not supportive of Palestinians. Berlin-based politician Dirk Stettner, leader of the center-right CDU parliamentary group in the House of Representatives, accused the Berlinale of being a platform for anti-Israel sentiment and called on the city to withdraw the festival’s €2M annual funding. This new row follows attempts by Tuttle and her team to head-off a repeat of last year’s 2024 edition in which opposing views over the Israel-Palestine conflict spilled into the closing night, with winners and jury members criticizing Israel’s military campaign, sparking accusations of antisemitism by local politicians.
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