British actor Tilda Swinton took the stage in Berlin to accept the honorary Golden Bear award at the 75th Berlin Film Festival, delivering a powerful speech in defense of art and against oppression. The festival, which runs until February 23, began with the German-language film “The Light” by acclaimed director Tom Tykwer.
Swinton, widely recognized for her roles in “Michael Clayton” and “The Room Next Door,” received the award from German filmmaker Edward Berger, who praised her as “an extraordinarily beautiful soul.” The audience responded with a standing ovation as Swinton condemned repression and the greed of governments while underscoring the importance of culture. “State-perpetrated and internationally enabled mass murder is currently actively terrorizing more than one part of our world,” she declared. Emphasizing the necessity of artistic freedom, she lauded cinema as a “borderless realm” that resists occupation, control, and ownership. She also made a pointed reference to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal concerning the Gaza Strip.
“Long live cinema and all its never-ending promise, a light in the dark that never goes out,” Swinton concluded, reaffirming the enduring power of storytelling in uncertain times.
The festival’s opening night saw actors and filmmakers braving heavy snowfall to walk the red carpet. Among them was Fan Bingbing, one of China’s biggest film stars and a jury member, whose arrival in a CUPRA electric car, a festival sponsor, thrilled fans. Lars Eidinger, leading actor in “The Light,” also attended the event, which Tykwer described as a reminder of the importance of human connection. “The movie is really trying to remind us it’s all about reaching out. It’s about holding on to each other, being together, not apart,” he explained.
Politics was inescapable at the festival, with German climate activist Luisa Neubauer wearing a dress emblazoned with “Donald & Elon & Alice & Friedrich?,” referencing the U.S. president and his billionaire adviser’s comments on German politics ahead of key elections. Demonstrators outside the Berlinale Palast included supporters of the #MeToo movement, those advocating for an Israeli hostage in Gaza, and protesters addressing the broader crisis in the region.
As the festival unfolds, cinema remains at the heart of the discussion, offering a platform for both artistic expression and political discourse, reinforcing its role as a medium that transcends borders and unites audiences worldwide.
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