Arundhati Roy withdraws from Berlin fest over jury's Gaza comments
What's the story
Acclaimed Indian author Arundhati Roy has withdrawn from the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) over "unconscionable statements" made by the jury regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The decision was announced on Friday, just days before she was scheduled to present her 1989 campus comedy In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones at the festival.
Statement
Roy was 'shocked' by jury's stance on art and politics
In her statement, Roy expressed shock at the jury's comments that art should not be political. She said, "It is a way of shutting down a conversation about a crime against humanity even as it unfolds before us in real time, when artists, writers and filmmakers should be doing everything in their power to stop it."
Condemnation
Roy condemned the 'genocide' in Gaza
Roy also condemned the ongoing situation in Gaza, calling it "a genocide of the Palestinian people by the State of Israel." She accused the governments of the US and Germany, along with other European nations, of complicity in this crime. "If the greatest filmmakers and artists of our time cannot stand up and say so, they should know that history will judge them," she wrote.
Film screening
Roy's film was selected for Berlinale Classics section
Roy's film, In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones, was selected for the Classics section at Berlinale 2026. It features Shah Rukh Khan and Manoj Bajpayee in one of their earliest roles. Despite her reservations about the German government's stance on Palestine, she had initially considered attending the festival due to past political solidarity from German audiences. However, following the jury's comments on Gaza, she has now decided not to attend.
Jury response
What exactly did the jury say that sparked outrage?
The controversy was sparked by a press conference where Berlinale jury head Wim Wenders and fellow jury member Ewa Puszczynska were asked about the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Wenders had said, "We have to stay out of politics because if we make movies that are dedicatedly political, we enter the field of politics." Puszczynska added, "There are many other wars where genocide is committed, and we do not talk about that. So this is a very complicated question..."
Twitter Post
Here's what Wenders said
Don't ask about Palestine at the Berlinale!
— Tilo Jung (@TiloJung) February 12, 2026
Here's my question to the jury about selective solidarity of the film festival with the people of Iran and Ukraine vs. Palestinians. Wim Wenders (jury president) actually said: "We have to stay out of politics" #Berlinale2026pic.twitter.com/09SZOzk3Nf