BERLIN (AP) 鈥� The head of the jury at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival , seeking instead to shift the focus to the tough selection ahead for the best movie.
Twenty titles from around the globe will compete for the top prize, the Golden Bear, with Thursday 's opening marking the world premiere of 鈥淪mall Things Like These,鈥� starring man of the moment .
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be interesting,鈥� said jury president and Oscar-winning actor when asked about differing views of this year鈥檚 panel of actors, directors and writers tasked with choosing the winner.
鈥淚t鈥檚 probably also going to be spicy,鈥� the Kenyan-Mexican actor added with a smile, speaking at a news conference in the German capital. 鈥淭he beauty of bringing people together from different backgrounds is that we respond to different things. ... We are having robust conversations.鈥�
Nyong'o is the Berlinale鈥檚 first Black jury president and said she felt greatly honored to lead this year鈥檚 jury.
鈥淭his is a chance for me to learn a lot about the world of cinema and to celebrate it,鈥� she said and added that she plans to 鈥渓isten first.鈥�
Still, as reporters hurled questions about the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Ukraine and German politics, Nyong'o and the other jurors mostly dodged them.
One question she could not avoid was about the , which the organizers last week uninvited to the opening gala. Five AfD politicians had been expected to attend since members of all parties in Berlin鈥檚 state legislature are invited to events supported with public money.
In recent weeks, against the far right, following a report that extremists met to discuss deporting millions of immigrants, including some with German citizenship, and that some members of AfD were present.
鈥淚鈥檓 a foreigner here," Nyong'o said before continuing, "I don鈥檛 know the ins and outs of the political situation here, so I鈥檓 glad I don鈥檛 have to answer that question.鈥�
However, other jury members were more vocal on the subject.
German director Christian Petzold appeared critical about the decision to uninvite the AfD politicians. "If we can鈥檛 stand five persons of the AfD in the part of the audience, we will lose our fight.鈥�
鈥淚magine having five fascists sitting in the room, watching the cinema that Berlinale chose to tell for this reality, for this moment," said Italian actor Jasmine Trinca, suggesting this might broaden the politicians' horizons.
Later, when asked to elaborate, Petzold said that the fact that 鈥渉undreds, thousands of people (are) demonstrating against鈥� AfD is "much more important than these kind of discussions.鈥�
Among the competition entries this year is French-Senegalese director Mati Diop with her documentary 鈥淒ahomey,鈥� exploring colonization through the return of stolen artifacts plundered by French colonial troops and returned to Benin in West Africa.
鈥淏lack Tea鈥� from Mauritian-born Malian director Abderrahmane Sissako also focuses on the African diaspora, the story of a young Ivorian woman who emigrates to China and falls in love with an older Chinese man.
Nyong'o said she was happy Africa is featuring at the festival but added that she is 鈥渁lways hungry for more.鈥�
Along with Trinca and Petzold, this year鈥檚 jury in Berlin also includes actor-directors Brady Corbet, directors Ann Hui and Albert Serra, as well as Ukrainian writer Oksana Zabuzhko. The festival runs through Feb. 25.
Louise Dixon, The Associated Press
