A political scandal occurred during the closing ceremony of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival. Abdallah Alkhatib, awarded for his film 'Chronicles From the Siege,' accused the German government of complicity in 'genocide in Gaza.' In protest against these statements, Environment Minister Carsten Schneider left the hall. This incident fits into growing tensions surrounding Germany's stance on the Middle East conflict.

Accusations of complicity

Director Abdallah Alkhatib called the German government a partner in genocide while receiving the award for best debut.

Minister's protest

Carsten Schneider, Environment Minister under the SPD banner, left the hall in reaction to the laureate's extreme rhetoric.

Lack of message balance

Media critics the gala for failing to mention the victims of the Hamas attack while simultaneously having a strong pro-Palestinian emphasis.

Award-winning debut

The film 'Chronicles From the Siege' received a €50,000 prize as part of a new festival section.

The final gala of the 76th Berlinale, instead of focusing solely on artistic successes, became an arena for a fierce political dispute. The main flashpoint turned out to be the speech by Abdallah Alkhatib, a Syrian-Palestinian director who received the award for Best First Feature for his film 'Chronicles From the Siege.' This film, made with a documentary approach, depicts the fate of civilians trying to survive a siege. Alkhatib, appearing on stage in a traditional kufiya scarf and holding a Palestinian flag, called the German government a 'partner in genocide.' These words were immediately reacted to by Environment Minister Carsten Schneider from the SPD, who was present in the hall and demonstratively left the ceremony. The jury's decision to award Alkhatib's work €50,000 in the 'Perspectives' section outraged some commentators, who pointed to the one-sidedness of the message during the gala. Many critics noted that during numerous pro-Palestinian speeches by award-winning creators, the terrorist attacks by Hamas in October 2023 were almost completely omitted. This situation put the festival's leadership in a difficult position, as the management had previously been accused of trying to avoid political topics. This year's edition, however, showed that completely separating art from violent geopolitical conflicts is currently impossible. Historically, Berlinale has always been considered the most politically engaged among the big three film festivals, which also include Cannes and Venice. This tradition dates back to the Cold War period, when the festival served as a cultural showcase for divided Berlin.It is worth emphasizing that the incident involving Minister Schneider was not isolated. Several other laureates also used their speeches to condemn Israel's actions, deepening the impression of chaos during the official closing of the event. Although the main prize, the Golden Bear, was won by the film 'Gelbe Briefe' directed by İlker Çatak, it was the political scandal that dominated media headlines worldwide. A federal government spokesperson later emphasized that Berlin firmly rejects accusations of genocide, recognizing Israel's actions as self-defense. „Germany is a partner in the genocide in Gaza by Israel.” — Abdallah Alkhatib

Mentioned People

  • Abdallah Alkhatib — Syrian-Palestinian director awarded for the film 'Chronicles From the Siege,' author of the controversial speech.
  • Carsten Schneider — German Environment Minister from the SPD, who left the gala in a gesture of protest.
  • İlker Çatak — Director of the film 'Gelbe Briefe,' winner of the Golden Bear.