Wim Wenders used the Berlin International Film Festival’s awards ceremony to answer a week of criticism over his earlier comments about filmmakers “staying out of politics,” arguing that cinema and activism do not need to compete for moral urgency. Speaking as jury president at the closing gala on Saturday, Wenders described what he called an “artificial discrepancy” between art and activism that, in his view, gets amplified online, then stressed that many films in the program already press for “the dignity and protection of human life.”
His remarks landed in a closing-night room already charged by speeches that referenced the war in Gaza and Germany’s political climate. Reuters reported that producer Ingo Fliess, accepting the festival’s top prize for İlker Çatak’s “Yellow Letters,” warned of “autocrats,” “right-wing parties,” and “nihilists,” urging people to unite against forces trying to “destroy our way of living.” The Guardian reported that several winners used their time on stage to voice solidarity with Palestinians, drawing loud reactions in the hall.
“Yellow Letters,” a Turkish-language drama shot in Germany with Berlin standing in for Ankara, won the Golden Bear after the jury cited its warning signs of creeping despotism. Wenders said the film gave the jury “chills” and predicted audiences would understand it “worldwide,” framing the story as a cautionary tale that travels beyond Turkey’s politics.
The debate followed a flashpoint earlier in the festival, when Wenders’ comments at a jury press event drew backlash and fueled accusations that the festival discouraged direct political speech—claims the Berlinale leadership rejected in public statements. At the ceremony, Wenders leaned into reconciliation, urging solidarity around shared humanitarian aims rather than treating artists and activists as rival camps.
