Tilda Swinton was awarded a lifetime achievement award for her contributions to film. In her acceptance speech, she did not mention Gaza, Ukraine, or Trump, but criticized "our greedy governments", and how states commit mass murder while the world watches, writes The Guardian. She wanted to give her "unwavering solidarity" to those who see how governments collude with war criminals and "people who destroy the earth" – no matter where they come from.
Swinton, however, explicitly criticized President Donald Trump's plans to relocate the Palestinian people from Gaza, in order to build a riviera there – by praising the film world as a place immune to occupation, colonialism, and "developing riviera properties".
The film gala began with a vigil for actor David Cunio, who was taken hostage in Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7. The gala has been marked by controversies – participants in the award ceremony have condemned Israel's violence and demanded a ceasefire. At the same time, Germany's Culture Minister Claudia Roth has described the protests as "shocking one-sided and characterized by deep hatred towards Israel".
