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 will take a break from acting for "the rest of the year," she revealed at the Berlin Film Festival.

Tilda Swinton spoke about her decision to attend Berlin Film Festival despite calls for a boycott over the war in Gaza, saying it was “more useful to our causes” for her to show up. On Thursday night,

Celebrated actress Tilda Swinton attends the Berlin Film Festival and accepts her Honorary Golden Bear. She explains why she decided to come, despite calls for boycott over Gaza and freedom of expression.

Swinton was asked by an Israeli journalist during a press conference today (February 14) on her position on the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which works to end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians, and is one of the organisations that has publicly called for a boycott of this year’s Berlinale.

Tilda Swinton was awarded Golden Bear for lifetime achievement at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, where she delivered a tearful speech.

British actor Tilda Swinton chose to attend Berlinale despite Gaza boycott talks, signalling her passion for cinema. Meanwhile, the festival has opened with films addressing themes from migrant acceptance to life-or-death choices.

At the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, a festival conceived to honor the power of cinema to unite people and bridge cultures, Swinton’s obscene expression of admiration for the BDS movement is nothing short of a shame.