German-Turkish director İlker Çatak, whose “Yellow Letters” recently won the Berlin Film Festival‘s Golden Bear, has weighed in on the recommendations made by Germany’s culture ministry after it Berlinale chief Tricia Tuttle came under fire earlier this week
Tuttle’s leadership came under threat after the 2026 edition of the festival was overshadowed by political debate, with several filmmakers using their acceptance speeches during the awards ceremony to make pro-Palestinian statements and speak out about Gaza, sparking backlash from politicians and parts of the German media.
The Berlinale on Tuesday confirmed that Tuttle would remain as director following a supervisory board meeting during which the board — which finances the festival — issued a series of recommendations, including the creation of a code of conduct; training for staff dealing with politically sensitive content; as well as the launch of an independent advisory forum representing diverse social groups, including Jewish voices.
“An international A‑list festival like the Berlinale, a festival dedicated to the liberal arts, freedom of expression, and cinema in all its diverse voices, must never be subjected to “recommendations” or any form of external directive,” Çatak said in a statement for Variety.
“Beyond the inviolability of human rights and, in this case, the German Constitution, nothing may dictate how the festival leadership curates its program,” he added. “Filmmakers and guests must also be free to express everything they wish within this framework. Anything else would constitute blatant state interference in the autonomous exercise of art. We would have to call it what it is: censorship,” the Golden Bear-winning director went on to note.
In response to reports that the government was planning to sack Tuttle, Çatak had previously stated: “Do they even realize that all of us—and I certainly include myself in that—I would never submit another film to the Berlinale”.
Çatak’s timely “Yellow Letters” is a political drama starring Turkish actors Özgü Namal (Derya) and Tansu Biçer (Aziz) as an artists’ couple whose marriage implodes after they lose their jobs due to their political views.
