Chronicles From The Siege

Source: © Issaad Film Productions

‘Chronicles From The Siege’

Arab filmmakers are back at the Berlinale after several stayed away last year following the fallout from the reaction to the speech from No Other Land directors Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham at the 2024 awards ceremony.

Berlin-based Palestinian Syrian writer-director Abdallah Alkhatib’s feature debut, Chronicles From The Siege, is world premiering in the Perspectives section. He was selected for the talent development programme Berlinale Talents in 2025 but chose not to attend.

This year, however, Alkhatib said, “I decided to come because I don’t want them to cut my voice. If they want to cut my voice, let them do it in front of the camera… It’s our responsibility as Palestinian filmmakers to knock on all the doors, and try to find a stage for us, and try to speak loudly.”

“It’s very important that our voices arrive in a place,” agreed Sabine Sidawi of Orjouane Productions, the Lebanese producer of Rania Rafei’s Forum doc The Day Of Wrath: Tales From Tripoli.

“Art is political. It is a position you take. Even if you make a film about flowers or butterflies, it is political.”

Festival director Tricia Tuttle has described the need to rebuild trust with the Arab industry and to ensure the Berlinale “encourages thoughtful, open dialogue”.

Many believe a double standard exists, in which the war in Ukraine is perceived as a more palatable topic than Gaza, on which to speak out. Jury president Wim Wenders’ attempt to distance the discussion from politics in the opening press conference, saying films have nothing to do with politics, has added to this sense of unease. 

“It’s as if there are different levels of suffering,”  said Alaa Karkouti, CEO of Cairo-based studio Mad Solutions. “When it comes to a certain nationality, [the festival says] let’s not talk about politics.”

Karkouti and Alkhatib both said they have had conversations with Tuttle in the run-up to the festival. “She’s trying to understand,” said Karkouti. “At the same time, she has a huge challenge to revive the Berlinale. There are multiple layers. It will take time.”

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