Indian-American director Suneil Sanzgiri was scheduled to showcase his film about resistance against colonialism during the Portuguese Empire at this month's Berlin International Film Festival before withdrawing. Sanzgiri announced on Instagram that he was boycotting the festival, accusing German authorities of silencing voices in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war. He wrote, "I will not collude. All our hands are stained with blood." Sanzgiri's film is among at least three films that their creators have withdrawn from, as artists have also announced their withdrawal from the festival.
The withdrawals reflect a predicament for German cultural institutions, caught between protecting artistic freedom while acknowledging what many Germans consider a historical responsibility towards Israel after the "Nazi Holocaust." Similar rifts have occurred across Europe since the attack by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on October 7. The European Broadcasting Union resisted calls to exclude Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest. Protests erupted in Naples, Italy, in February after the Italian broadcasting company RAI distanced itself from a call made by an Italian-Tunisian rapper named Ghali to "stop the genocide" during the closing night of the famous Sanremo music festival.
A network of artists in the UK documented canceled events due to pro-Palestinian sentiments of artists. There was also anger following the cancellation of two Palestinian film events at the Arnolfini arts venue in Bristol for fear they might "devolve into political activism." In France, a group of artists organized a "silent march" in November, where they raised a blank banner without slogans.
In Germany, anger over the Israeli attack, which has resulted in the deaths of over 29,000 Palestinians in Gaza, collided with sensitivities regarding support for Israel. Critics say that "crackdowns against pro-Palestinian voices blur the line between legitimate criticism and protest." Opponents argue that "the government has used its financial influence in cultural events, which are often state-supported, to prevent any criticism of Israel," an accusation the government denies.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture pointed out that “artistic freedom and freedom of expression are among the fundamental principles of democracy in Germany, and are of course also protected by the federal government.” The spokesperson added, “Institutions and projects funded at the federal level enjoy organizational freedom and decide for themselves which artists they work with.”
In announcing his boycott of the Berlin International Film Festival, Sanzgiri expressed support for the "Germany Strike," an initiative launched in January by artists who remain anonymous, calling on filmmakers, musicians, writers, and artists to withdraw from cultural events in Germany. The organizers wrote, "This is a call to reject the use of German cultural institutions for McCarthyite policies that suppress freedom of expression, specifically the expression of solidarity with Palestine." About 1,600 artists registered with the initiative according to a list on its website, which included French Nobel Laureate Annie Ernaux. Reuters was unable to verify the validity of the list.
Last month, the CTM music festival in Berlin saw several artists withdraw in response to the call for a Germany strike. The Germany Strike initiative advocates for a different definition of anti-Semitism that does not include criticism of the state of Israel. The Berlin International Film Festival did not ignore the Gaza issue, hosting what is known as the "Little House" initiative, a small discussion space that invites divergent voices to speak about the war. One of the films highlighted the infringement of Israeli settlers on lands.
The initiative is one among several cultural events in Germany overshadowed by anger over Gaza. Hundreds of international writers condemned the Frankfurt Book Fair in October after postponing an award for a Palestinian writer. In November, the entire board of judges for the Documenta exhibition, one of the most important art exhibitions in Europe, resigned following disputes over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
