UK Actress Tilda Swinton Called Out Trump And "Internationally Enabled Mass Murder" In Gaza At The Berlinale
“The inhumane is being perpetrated on our watch.” Tilda Swinton said.
British actress Tilda Swinton called out US president Donald Trump’s plan to “take over” Gaza and turn it to the “Riviera of the Middle East” as well as Israel’s genocide in Gaza at the Berlin Film Festival.
During her acceptance speech for an honorary Golden Bear for her lifetime achievement at the Berlin Film Festival on Thursday, Feb. 13, the 64-year-old spoke about the power of cinema to create a borderless realm, that is “immune to efforts of occupation, colonization, takeover, ownership or the development of Riviera property,” alluding to Trump’s recent announcement of his plans to “take over” Gaza, “own” it and turn it to the “Riviera of the Middle East”.
“The inhumane is being perpetrated on our watch,” Swinton said.
She said that “state-perpetrated and internationally enabled mass murder is currently actively terrorizing more than one part of our world”, implicitly referring to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
She also condemned the “greed-addicted governments who make nice with planet-wreckers and war criminals, wherever they come from.”
Despite the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement known as the BDS calls to boycott the Berlin Film Festival due to Germany’s support to Israel, Swinton said she chose to attend the festival saying it would be more “useful” than boycotting.
“I’m a great admirer of and have a great deal of respect for BDS and I think about it a lot, 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,” Swinton said in a press conference after accepting her award.
Swinton has been vocal about several political issues throughout her career and has been a longtime supporter of the Palestinian cause.
In 2011, she appeared in British Vogue, wearing a scarf with the colors of the Palestinian flag and the word "Palestine" written on it.
She also participated in a campaign called "Cinema For Gaza," supporting charity Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) in 2024.
Swinton announced during the press conference that she is taking a break to have some peace and quiet and figure out what the next 40 years are,” adding that she won’t be participating in any films for the rest of 2025.
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