The Golden Bear Roars at the Crescent: Iranian Cinema’s Political Echo at the Berlinale

Abstract

Film festivals have increasingly become sites of political negotiation, especially in response to global crises and censorship. Within this context, the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) has long positioned itself as a politically engaged cultural institution, often aligning with liberal democratic values. However, little attention has been given to how this political positioning materializes through symbolic gestures and curatorial strategies, particularly in its recurring use of the ‘empty chair’ (a literal reserved seat left vacant at official events like press conferences or jury panels) to protest the censorship of Iranian filmmakers. This thesis addresses this gap by examining how the Berlinale’s programming, public statements, and visual iconography across its 2011, 2020, and 2024 editions responded to the forced absence of directors Jafar Panahi, Mohammad Rasoulof, Maryam Moghaddam, and Behtash Sanaeeha. Using archival research, visual analysis, and Lynn Spigel’s method of historical discourse analysis, it interrogates how the festival's symbolic language evolved in response to shifting geopolitical landscapes – from the Arab Spring to the COVID-19 pandemic and the global tensions that characterize it nowadays. The findings reveal a transition from overt protest to more diplomatically framed solidarity, exposing the tension between institutional activism, state funding, and international visibility. These insights invite further reflection on the role of major film festivals as cultural gatekeepers navigating the fine line between political expression and institutional constraint.