Tilda Swinton breaks silence on attending Berlin Film Festival amid boycott calls, slams Trump’s plan to ‘takeover’ Gaza

Tilda Swinton was awarded Golden Bear for lifetime achievement at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, where she delivered a tearful speech.

Published on: Feb 14, 2025, 20:48:08 IST

By Shweta Kukreti

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Tilda Swinton was awarded Golden Bear for lifetime achievement at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, where she delivered a tearful speech, slamming US President Donald Trump aspirations to turn Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

Scottish actress Tilda Swinton attends a press conference for the Honorary Golden Bear award at the 75th Berlinale, Europe's first major film festival of the year, in Berlin on February 14, 2025. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP) (AFP)

During a press conference for the Honorary Golden Bear award, Swinton, a staunch supporter of Palestinians, discussed why she decided to travel to the Berlin Film Festival despite boycott calls over the Gaza war. She clarified that it was “more useful to our causes” for her to attend the festival.

“I decided to come, I decided it was more important for me to come. I was given, thanks to the festival, a platform which I decided in a personal moment was potentially more useful to all our causes than me not turning up. It was a judgment, and a personal judgment call, that I take full responsibility for,” she said, as per Variety.

Also Read: Trump's Gaza remarks ‘shocking’, will fuel tensions in Middle East: Russia

Tilda Swinton hails Berlin Festival, takes swipe at Trump

In her moving speech, the Oscar-winning star hailed the event as “a borderless realm and with no policy of exclusion, persecution or deportation”.

Taking a direct barb at Trump's proposal to turn Gaza into a beach resort, she hailed the “independent cinema” by calling it “innately inclusive — immune to efforts of occupation, colonization, takeover, ownership or the development of riviera property.”

President Trump recently outlined his bold proposal to “takeover” the Gaza Strip and transform it from a “hell hole” to the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

She went on to say that the world is watching the “inhumane” being committed. Without hesitation or question, she said that she stands in solidarity with everyone who sees the “unacceptable complacency of our greed-addicted governments” that make friends with war criminals and planet-wreckers.

Swinton's remarks coincide with protest in favour of Israeli actor David Cunio

Swinton's remarks came after a vigil was staged ahead of the opening ceremony in favor of Israeli actor David Cunio, who was kidnapped during terror group Hamas' attack on Israel and has not been freed yet.

Controversy surrounding the Gaza war plagued Berlin's 2024 edition, with attendees denouncing Israel and demanding a truce.

Meanwhile, German lawmakers attacked the festival, and country's culture minister Claudia Roth called the demonstrations “shockingly one-sided and characterised by deep hatred of Israel.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shweta Kukreti
Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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