In a powerful and poetic address at the Berlin Film Festival, Tilda Swinton used her platform to raise her voice for Palestine and take a jab at former President Donald Trump’s controversial plans for Gaza.
Accepting the honorary Golden Bear for career achievement, the Oscar-winning actress didn’t shy away from addressing the pressing humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region.
Swinton began her speech by celebrating the festival as “a borderless realm with no policy of exclusion, persecution, or deportation.”
She described cinema as “the great independent state,” emphasizing its innate inclusivity and resilience against “occupation, colonization, takeover, ownership, or the development of riviera property.”
Her remarks were a clear reference to Trump’s recent comments suggesting that Gaza could be transformed into a “riviera of the Middle East.”
The idea, which many have criticized as tone-deaf and dismissive of the ongoing suffering of Palestinians, was met with Swinton’s sharp wit and unwavering conviction.
Transitioning from the celebration of cinema to the grim realities of the world, Swinton acknowledged the “state-perpetrated and internationally-enabled mass murder” that is currently terrorizing various parts of the globe, specifically highlighting the plight of Palestinians in Gaza.
“These are facts. They need to be faced,” she asserted, her voice steady and resolute. “So for the sake of clarity, let’s name it. The inhumane is being perpetrated on our watch.”
Swinton’s words resonated deeply, as she expressed her unwavering solidarity with those who recognize the “unacceptable complacency of our greed-addicted governments who make nice with planet-wreckers and war criminals, wherever they come from.”
Swinton’s speech comes at a critical time, as the U.S. has entered a second presidency under Trump, who has faced backlash for his handling of international relations, particularly in the Middle East.
Despite a recent ceasefire in the ongoing Israeli siege of Gaza, the lives of Palestinians remain precarious, with many still living under the threat of violence and displacement.
