Trump's tariffs on movies are an attack on the open world. And the very essence of art

Trump pretends to protect "American manufacturing" and "national security". In reality, however, he is only spreading populist panic and punishing creativity. The film industry - and the arts in general - have never flourished in isolation. Great films emerge from movement, from the exchange of ideas, from the inspiration of foreign lands, languages, people. By imposing tariffs on films made elsewhere than on home soil, Trump wants to stop this natural flow of cultural energy - and replace it with a warped idea of 'pure America' that relies on concrete sets and digital glitz instead of real experiences.

Yes, economically, the proposal is nonsensical. It threatens a trade war that will damage American film exports, destroy cooperation with British, Canadian or European studios, and force other countries to respond with the same barriers. While Europe and the rest of the world are building creative alliances, Trump is blazing a trail of isolation - and impoverishment. At a time when film has the power to be a bridge between nations, Trump proposes to build a wall. Yet it is the American president who should understand that film is not just a commodity - it is a medium that can spread understanding, respect and empathy. Or is that what he is afraid of?

European audiences know that some of the best American films have been made by crossing borders - geographical and cultural. Remember Lord of the Rings without New Zealand? The Bond films without their global elegance? Trump clearly doesn't see it. For him, otherness is a threat, not an opportunity. But it is otherness that makes the world interesting - and film alive.

The design of tariffs is not just a technocratic fad. It's a symptom. A symptom of a deeper problem: a politics that feeds on fear, ignorance and rejection. And it is up to us to confront such a policy. Not just for the sake of the economy, but for the sake of the values at stake. Freedom of creation. International cooperation. Openness to the world. And the belief that cultural exchange is not a betrayal, but an opportunity.

Trump wants America to close in on itself. But Europe - and perhaps many Americans - know that in this time of global challenges, we need the exact opposite: an open world where we create together. A culture that builds bridges, not walls.