‘Unconscionable’: Arundhati Roy Leaves Berlinale after Jury Comments on Gaza
By Palestine Chronicle Staff
Indian author and Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy withdrew from the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival after remarks by jury president Wim Wenders that filmmakers should remain outside politics ignited a dispute linked to Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, quickly turning the festival’s opening into a broader debate about the role of art during wartime.
Key Takeaways
Roy canceled her Berlinale appearance following comments urging artists to stay apolitical.
Wenders argued cinema can influence society but “not in a political way.”
Roy said the stance suppresses discussion of “a crime against humanity.”
The dispute unfolded amid scrutiny of Germany’s political support for Israel.
Roy reiterated her claim that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Press Conference Sparks Controversy
The controversy began during the opening press conference of the Berlin International Film Festival on Thursday, when journalists questioned the international competition jury about Gaza and whether films can influence political change.
According to an article published in The Guardian on Friday, German filmmaker Wim Wenders said cinema has transformative power but insisted it does not operate politically, stating that “movies can change the world” but “not in a political way.”
He argued filmmakers “have to stay out of politics” because explicitly political filmmaking moves artists into the realm of politicians rather than acting as “the counterweight of politics.”
The exchange took place as reporters asked the jury about Germany’s backing of Israel — a sensitive issue given the German government provides significant funding to the festival.
Kudos to Arundhati Roy for not bowing down to pressure from Berlinale Film Festival. All art is political & the question is: What kind of politics are you promoting? Genocide enabling or anti-genocide politics. (Btw, her recent book was a pleasure to read)… pic.twitter.com/HRHfVSl6IT
— Muneeb Qadir (@muneebqadirmmq) February 14, 2026
Roy Announces Withdrawal
Roy, who had been scheduled to attend a screening of the restored version of her 1989 film In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones in the festival’s Classics section, announced the following day that she would not participate.
In a statement reported by The Guardian, the renowned author described Wenders’ comments as “unconscionable,” adding that hearing claims that art should not be political was “jaw-dropping.”
She said the position amounted to “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 film-makers should be doing everything in their power to stop it.”
Roy also directly addressed the war in Gaza, stating that “what has happened in Gaza, what continues to happen, is a genocide of the Palestinian people by the state of Israel.” She further said the actions are “supported and funded by the governments of the United States and Germany, as well as several other countries in Europe,” making them “complicit in the crime.”
Roy added she had been “profoundly disturbed” by the positions taken by German authorities and cultural institutions on Palestine, though she noted she had often received solidarity from German audiences when discussing Gaza.
Responses from the Jury
Other members of the jury sought to distance the festival from political responsibility.
Producer Ewa Puszczyńska said the panel’s role was to engage viewers intellectually but that it “cannot be responsible” for whether audiences support Israel or Palestine. She also remarked that “there are many other wars where genocide is committed and we do not talk about that,” according to The Guardian
The international jury includes filmmakers and actors from the United States, Japan, Nepal, South Korea, India and Poland, highlighting the global scope of the disagreement.
The episode reflects ongoing tensions across European cultural spaces, where artists and festivals have increasingly faced scrutiny over statements, programming decisions and public silence regarding Gaza.
(PC, The Guardian, Social Media)
Separating film from ‘Politics’ is a veil to silence critics. Calling out genocide is not political. Silencing critics of genocide is.
"Stay away from politics" is just another way to say "you are not permitted to accuse Israel of anything". There is no other State on Earth except Israel that is above all accountability. Everything Israel does to kill and remove the Palestinian population, must be accepted and deemed right. MASS EXTERMINATION is "right" when Israel does it, otherwise it is "antisemitic".