Wim Wenders defends filmmakers’ political role at Venice

Wim Wenders used his press conference at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday to reiterate that filmmakers are “the antidote” to politics, after his remarks at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year were taken as a call for artists to stay out of public debate.

Why the comment matters

The director, best known for Paris, Texas, was promoting a new documentary about Swiss architect Peter Zumthor when reporters asked whether he had softened his stance on the role of cinema in the ongoing Gaza war. His answer touches a long‑standing tension between cultural institutions and the expectations of governments, especially as European festivals have been pressured to comment on the Israel‑Palestine conflict.

What he said

What I said then is that as filmmakers, we are the opposite of politicians. We have empathy. Politicians work without empathy.

He added, “We are not working with a mindset of politicians, we are working with a mindset of empathetic people. And we are into changing things. I say that again and I hope you're not misquoting me and saying we have to stay out of politics because we do the opposite. We are the antidote.”

Jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal weighed in, describing movies as “fundamentally, undeniably political”, underscoring how the debate is not new but has intensified as the war in Gaza continues to dominate cultural conversations.

Industry observers expect the clash of viewpoints to influence programming decisions at upcoming festivals and could affect funding bodies that are increasingly scrutinising the political content of films. For now, Wenders’ remarks reaffirm a stance that many creators are likely to adopt: using storytelling to foster empathy rather than aligning with any governmental agenda.

How festivals navigate this terrain will shape the narrative around art and activism in the months ahead, with potential ripple effects on distribution, awards and audience expectations.