After the anti‑Israel protests at the Berlinale, Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer announced plans to restructure the film festival. Speaking to the „Rheinische Post” (Monday edition), he said that the “tone of activists-no matter where they come from-must not become the tone of the Berlinale”. He stressed that juries, staff and artists need better protection against “activist assaults”.
Weimer added that the festival’s code of conduct, staffing, and organisational arrangements must be revisited so that such incidents and protests are prevented in the future. At the same time he called for a broader base of acceptance for the Berlinale, arguing that political activists had overrun the festival and poisoned its atmosphere. He lamented that very few people now speak about the remarkable filmmakers that the event has traditionally showcased.
At the same time, the minister reaffirmed that the Berlinale should remain “an open forum of film art, tolerance and dialogue”. Those who have attended-actors, directors and others-share his view. Nonetheless, it must not become a venue for hate, antisemitism or threats.