Throughout a press convention on Thursday, Berlinale jury president Lupita Nyong’o responded to the competition inviting after which disinviting politicians from far-right group AfD to its opening ceremony.

“I’m a foreigner right here. I don’t know the ins and outs of the political scenario right here,” Nyong’o mentioned in response to a query asking if she would have attended the ceremony had the politicians nonetheless been invited. “I’m glad I don’t must reply that query. I’m glad I don’t must be in that place.”

This yr’s jury additionally contains administrators Christian Petzold (Germany) and Ann Hui (Hong Kong, China); filmmaker Albert Serra (Spain); actor-producer-director Brady Corbet (U.S.); actor-director Jasmine Trinca (Italy); and author Oksana Zabuzhko (Ukraine).

Petzold had a unique perspective, saying: “I believe it’s not an issue to have 5 individuals of the AfD within the viewers. We are not any cowards. Should you can’t stand 5 individuals of AfD as a part of the viewers we’ll lose our combat.”

He later added, “I believe all of those questions make them stronger than they’re … there are a whole lot of 1000’s of individuals demonstrating towards them and I believe they’re extra essential than this sort of dialogue.”

The Berlinale discovered itself in sizzling water over the invitation of politicians from AfD, a German right-wing extremist social gathering, to its opening ceremony. After widespread backlash, the fest introduced on Feb. 8 that that they had withdrawn the invitation.

“The present discourse has as soon as once more made it very clear how a lot the dedication to a free, tolerant society and standing towards right-wing extremism are a part of the Berlinale’s DNA,” said the competition, including that “for many years, the Berlinale has been dedicated to democratic values and towards all types of right-wing extremism.”

Berlin Movie Pageant runs Feb. 15-25.