Tilda Swinton Critiques Governments in Powerful Berlin Film Festival Speech

BERLIN, Germany — Tilda Swinton delivered a poignant speech at the opening ceremony of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival on February 15, 2025, where she was honored with a Golden Bear award for lifetime achievement. In her acceptance remarks, Swinton condemned what she termed “the astonishing savagery of spite and state-perpetrated, internationally enabled mass murder.”

Without explicitly naming specific conflicts or political figures, Swinton criticized what she called “greed-addicted governments” for enabling such violence. She stated, “These are facts. They need to be faced. The inhumane is being perpetrated on our watch.” Her passionate call to action resonated throughout the auditorium, eliciting multiple rounds of applause.

Swinton further remarked, “I’m here to name it without hesitation or doubt in my mind, and to lend my unwavering solidarity to all those who recognize the unacceptable complacency of our greed-addicted governments who make nice with planet wreckers and war criminals, wherever they come from.” This sentiment reflects a broader critique of global political inaction amid ongoing crises.

The Golden Bear award recognized Swinton’s expansive and acclaimed film career, spanning three decades. Since her debut in Derek Jarman’s 1986 film “Caravaggio,” she has established herself as a compelling and versatile actor. During her speech, she also emphasized the value of independent cinema as a sanctuary for creativity, unencumbered by external political pressures: “We can head for the great independent state of cinema and rest there. An unlimited realm, innately inclusive, immune to efforts of occupation, colonization, ownership, or the development of ‘Riviera property.’”

Swinton’s remarks came in the context of ongoing conflict in Gaza, although she stated her comments applied to all wars occurring globally. The festival’s artistic director Tricia Tuttle and other attendees showed support for Israeli actor David Cunio, who was taken hostage in an attack on October 7, 2023. Cunio’s story will be featured in a documentary titled “A Letter to David,” which is set to premiere at the festival.

Despite calls for a boycott from the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement regarding ongoing conflicts, Swinton opted to attend the festival, asserting that her presence there was a “personal judgment call” aimed at promoting meaningful dialogue. “I think about BDS a lot,…but I decided that it was more important for me to come,” Swinton noted at a Friday press conference.

After decades of working in the demanding film industry, Swinton expressed her need for a hiatus from acting. “I want time to develop projects…I’ve been under the lash for a while,” she said, hinting at her venture back to Scotland post-festival. Swinton, who won an Academy Award for her role in “Michael Clayton,” continues to engage with various film projects, including recent titles like “The Room Next Door” and “The End.”