Movies can change the world but not in a political way' says Wim Wenders

""Yes, movies can change the world, he told reporters in the German capital at the start of the 11-day event. Not in a political way. No movie has really changed any politician's idea, but we can change the idea that people have of how they should live.""

""We have to stay out of politics because if we make movies that are dedicatedly political, we enter the field of politics, he said. But we are the counterweight of politics, we are the opposite of politics. We have to do the work of people, not the work of politicians.""

""Of course, we are trying to talk to people and make them think, but we cannot be responsible for what their decision would be, to support Israel or to support Palestine, she said. There are many wars where genocide is committed, and we do not talk about them so this is a complicated question and it's a bit of an unfair question.""

Wim Wenders assumes the Berlinale jury presidency and emphasizes cinema's capacity to build bridges, generate empathy and help heal a broken planet. He frames movies as capable of changing how people think about how they should live, rather than changing politicians' minds. Wenders argues that festivals and filmmakers should avoid becoming overtly political and positions cinema as a counterweight to politics focused on people's work. Jury member Ewa Puszczynska calls questions about festival political responsibility complicated and unfair, noting many unaddressed genocides. The seven-member jury will award Golden and Silver Bears from 22 features, with a gala on 21 February and an opening out-of-competition screening of No Good Men by Shahrbanoo Sadat.

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