Berlin-based directors are keeping politics at center stage as the Berlinale kicks off on the eve of national elections

The Berlin International Film Festival is kicking off on Thursday with the world premiere of Tom Tykwer’s “The Light,” a timely tale of a dysfunctional German family and a Syrian refugee. The festival known as the Berlinale this year comes against the backdrop of Germany's parliament elections.

Congratulations to the city on getting this extraordinary director to lead this beloved festival into the future,” said German director Edward Berger ( Conclave, All Quiet on the Western Front ), capturing the sense of optimism and excitement over Tuttle’s appointment,

British actor Tilda Swinton, known for her often eccentric and quirky roles in both independent and blockbuster films, said on Friday that she decided "in a personal moment" to attend the Berlin Film Festival despite boycott calls over the war in Gaza.

Tilda Swinton is planning to take a break from acting after her trip to the Berlin Film Festival comes to an end. The Oscar winner told journalists this morning that she will be heading to Scotland after Berlin to rest and recuperate after an intense period of work.

Tilda Swinton certainly knows her way around Berlin. In 1988, for example, filmmaker Cynthia Beatt followed her as she biked near the Berlin Wall for the short film Cycling the Frame. In 1986, she first appeared at the Berlin International Film Festival with her mentor Derek Jarman's Caravaggio,