Tilda Swinton Supports Protest at Her 'The Room Next Door' Premiere, Calls the Interruption 'Necessary'

A protest erupted inside the premiere of The Room Next Door at the 2024 New York Film Festival, which was supported by both star Tilda Swinton and director Pedro Almodovar.

Tilda and co-star Julianne Moore hit the red carpet that evening for the premiere of their new movie on Friday (October 4) in New York City.

Also in attendance were co-stars John Turturro, Alessandro Nivola, and Esther McGregor. The movie won the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year.

Deadline reports that protesters chanted in support of Palestine and Lebanon during the post-screening Q&A. A Film at Lincoln Center spokesperson confirmed, “Two individuals held a banner and shouted slogans in the theater during the Q&A following the NYFF screening of Pedro Almodóvar’s film The Room Next Door. They were peacefully escorted out.”

Pedro requested that the protesters be allowed to speak and Tilda praised them.

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Twitter user Jonathon Catlin reports that Tilda called the protest “a dignifying thing for this festival.”

The following quote is paraphrased, but Tilda added, “These interruptions are uncomfortable, but they’re necessary, and it is relevant to our film. Syria is the room next door, Beirut, Gaza. Pedro’s film asks us not to look away.”