Nobel laureate author Arundhati Roy has dramatically withdrawn from the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), condemning the event’s official stance on Gaza as “jaw-dropping” in its avoidance of political engagement.
The controversy erupted during a press conference featuring festival jury president Wim Wenders, the renowned German filmmaker who emerged from the explicitly political New German Cinema movement. Wenders asserted that filmmakers must “stay out of politics” and position themselves as “the counterweight of politics.” His comments represented a stark departure from his 2024 characterization of Berlinale as “traditionally always the most political of the major festivals.”
Further intensifying the dispute, jury member Ewa Puszczynska dismissed questions about Germany’s support for Israel’s actions in Gaza as “unfair,” suggesting genocide occurs in “many other wars” that receive less attention.
Roy’s withdrawal statement, initially published by Indian media, expressed profound disappointment: “To hear them say that art should not be political is jaw-dropping. It is a way of shutting down a conversation about a crime against humanity even as it unfolds before us in real time.”
This incident continues a pattern of controversy for the festival regarding Gaza. The 2024 Berlinale previously faced criticism when award-winning Israeli filmmaker Yuval Abraham used his acceptance speech for the documentary ‘No Other Land’ to highlight the unequal rights between Israelis and Palestinians under occupation. The subsequent backlash included German officials labeling the festival “one-sided” and “antisemitic,” while Culture Minister Claudia Roth faced scrutiny for allegedly only applauding Abraham’s speech but not that of his Palestinian co-director.
The festival, which receives German government funding, continues amid these tensions, featuring over 200 films with 22 competing for the top Golden Bear award.