Wim Wenders Clarifies Stance on Cinema and Politics at Venice Film Festival

German director Wim Wenders clarified his views on the relationship between filmmakers and politics while presenting a new film about architect Peter Zumthor at the Venice Film Festival. The comments follow an outcry at the Berlin film festival in February, where Wenders served as jury president. During that event, Wenders told reporters that filmmakers cannot really enter the field of politics when asked about Germany's support for Israel during the Gaza war. The Guardian reports that these remarks incensed some filmmakers, including author Arundhati Roy, who called the comments unconscionable and withdrew from an event.

In Venice, Wenders stated that he had been misunderstood and that he is not suggesting filmmakers should stay out of politics. He explained that filmmakers operate with a mindset of empathy, which he described as the opposite of the mindset of politicians. Wenders asserted that filmmakers act as an antidote to politics because they seek to change things, whereas he claimed politicians work without empathy to confirm what already exists.

While presenting his documentary on Peter Zumthor, Wenders further discussed the link between architecture and politics. He referenced a scrapped project for the Topography of Terror memorial museum in Berlin, arguing that the decision to build a cheaper alternative was a political act of control. Meanwhile, Venice jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal noted during an opening press conference that movies are fundamentally and undeniably political. The conflict in Gaza has remained a frequent political flashpoint at various European film festivals.