The Berlin International Film Festival has always been a politically charged event, but this year’s 76th edition was a cauldron.
Early on, author Arundhati Roy resigned from her duties at the festival after Wim Wenders, the German filmmaker and head of the jury, said filmmakers should stay out of politics. This followed a jury press conference where a journalist questioned the festival’s stance on showing solidarity with victims of global conflicts, but ignoring Gaza.
In the wake of this, over 100 film personalities – including Tilda Swinton, Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem – signed a letter calling on the festival to state its opposition to what they described as Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Becoming the main talking point in festival head Tricia Tuttle’s second full year in charge, the controversy overshadowed an otherwise engaging selection.
Stepping aside from politics, here are 10 of the best films that screened at the Berlinale.
1. The Loneliest Man in Town
If Finnish auteur Aki Kaurismäki ever took a trip to Vienna, he might have made something like this droll, touching story from co-directors Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel.