On Monday night, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and actor Kevin Spacey were present at the Cinema for Peace gala held in Berlin. The event took place at the Adlon Hotel on the sidelines of the Berlin Film Festival and featured notable figures from politics and entertainment. This gathering drew attention not only for its celebrity guests but also for the powerful political messages shared during the ceremony.
Tunisian Filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania Delivers Stark Critique in Award Speech
The gala honored Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania for her feature The Voice of Hind Rajab, which earned the group’s “most valuable film” award. The film, nominated for Oscar and BAFTA awards, portrays the efforts of the Red Crescent to rescue Hind Rajab, a young Palestinian girl killed in the 2024 Israeli invasion of Gaza. Ben Hania used her acceptance speech to address a wider political context rather than celebrate the award.
She stated,
“I feel responsibility more than gratitude,”
emphasizing that the killing of Hind Rajab was part of a broader genocide. Ben Hania condemned those who, in Berlin and beyond, have reframed the violence as self-defense and disparaged those protesting the atrocities.
“What happened to Hind is not an exception. It’s a part of a genocide. And tonight, in Berlin, there are people who gave political cover to that genocide by reframing the mass civilian killing as self-defense, as complex circumstances. By denigrating those who protest,”
she said.
She further argued that genuine peace cannot exist without justice and accountability.
“Justice means accountability. Without accountability, there is no peace. The Israeli army killed Hind Rajab; killed her family; killed the two paramedics who came to save her, with the complicity of the world’s most powerful governments and institutions,”
Ben Hania declared during her speech.
Rejecting the typical celebratory tone, she concluded,
“I refuse to let their deaths become a backdrop for a polite speech about peace. Not while the structures that enabled them remain untouched. So tonight, I will not take this award home. I leave it here as a reminder. And when peace is pursued as a legal and moral obligation, rooted in accountability for genocide, then I will come back and accept it with joy.”
Other Highlights: Tribute to Israeli Documentary and Candid Remarks on Climate Politics
The event also recognized Noam Tibon, the former Israeli general featured in the Canadian documentary The Road Between Us, which recounts the rescue of his family from Hamas after the October 7, 2023, attacks. This acknowledgment added to the evening’s focus on politically charged issues.
Host Bob Geldof took an outspoken stance on climate change politics during the night, openly criticizing former U.S. President Donald Trump’s views. Geldof said,
“He’s a fucking idiot, and he should shut up,”
reflecting the tense atmosphere surrounding the event’s discourse.
Implications and Future Outlook for Cinema and Political Accountability
The Cinema for Peace gala remains a significant platform where film and political activism intersect, exemplified by Kaouther Ben Hania’s speech that brought urgent attention to ongoing violence and the demand for accountability. The presence of cultural and political figures such as Hillary Clinton and Kevin Spacey underscores the event’s high profile, but also highlights the uneasy tension between art, activism, and political realities.
As the Berlin Film Festival continues, the controversy stirred at the gala may influence how cinema engages with pressing global issues. The refusal to accept acknowledgment without justice signals a growing insistence among artists and activists that celebrations of film must also confront broader human rights crises.
