Indian author and activist Arundhati Roy has withdrawn from the Berlin International Film Festival in protest against what she called “unconscionable statements” by jury members about Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Roy criticized comments by the festival’s jury chair, German filmmaker Wim Wenders, who argued that “art should not be political.” She described this stance as “jaw-dropping” and accused the festival of trying to suppress discussion about what she termed “a crime against humanity” unfolding in Gaza.
Roy stated clearly that the ongoing situation in Gaza constitutes “a genocide of the Palestinian people by the State of Israel.” She also condemned the involvement of governments such as those of the United States and Germany, accusing them of complicity in the violence.
During the festival’s opening panel, Wenders maintained that filmmakers should “stay out of politics” and described cinema as a “counterweight to politics” rather than a governmental tool. Jury member Ewa Puszczynska added that filmmakers cannot be held responsible for government policies and noted that many other genocides worldwide receive little attention.
Roy was set to appear at the festival with her 1989 film In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones in the Classics section. She joins a growing number of international artists criticizing Germany’s cultural institutions for allegedly monitoring and suppressing public solidarity with Palestinians.
Roy concluded by urging artists, writers, and filmmakers worldwide to use their platforms responsibly to oppose the violence in Gaza and to defend freedom of expression.
