Tilda Swinton got political as she accepted Berlin Film Festival‘s Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement at its opening ceremony on Thursday night, saying “the inhumane is being perpetrated on our watch.”
In a poetic speech, Swinton lauded the festival as “a borderless realm and with no policy of exclusion, persecution or deportation.” She then acknowledged that “state-perpetrated and internationally enabled mass murder is currently actively terrorizing more than one part of our world,” though she didn’t go into specifics.
“These are facts. They need to be faced,” she continued. “So for the sake of clarity, let’s name it. The inhumane is being perpetrated on our watch. I’m here to name it without hesitation or doubt in my mind and to lend my unwavering solidarity to all those who recognize the unacceptable complacency of our greed-addicted governments who make nice with planet-wreckers and war criminals, wherever they come from.”
The award was presented to the Oscar-winning actress by “Conclave” helmer Edward Berger, who is directing her in the upcoming film “The Ballad of a Small Player.”
Swinton has had close ties to the Berlinale for many years, starring in 26 films in the festival’s selection including “Caravaggio,” which won the Silver Bear in 1986; “The Beach” (2000); “Derek” (2008); “Julia” (2008); “The Garden” (1991); and “Last and First Men” (2020). She also presided over the Berlinale’s main jury in 2009.
Swinton more recently appeared in “The Room Next Door,” her second collaboration Pedro Almodóvar, and Joshua Oppenheimer’s “The End.” She’s also known for her collaborations with Wes Anderson, including “Moonrise Kingdom,” “The French Dispatch” and “Asteroid City.” She received an Oscar for best supporting actress for her performance in 2007’s “Michael Clayton.”
The Berlin Film Festival runs through Feb. 23.