Arundhati Roy quits Berlin Film Festival after denouncing what she described as morally indefensible remarks by jury members on Gaza, saying silence from artists amounts to complicity.
The Indian author and activist announced her withdrawal days before the event, citing comments that dismissed political engagement by filmmakers during Israel’s ongoing war.
Roy said she was “shocked and disgusted” by statements suggesting art should remain separate from politics while civilians are being killed in Gaza.
Her decision places the Berlin International Film Festival at the centre of a growing global debate over cultural neutrality during mass violence.
Writing in India’s independent outlet The Wire, Roy described the jury’s remarks as “jaw-dropping” and historically irresponsible.
She argued that calls for artistic neutrality function as tools to shut down discussions about crimes against humanity.
The comments that triggered the controversy were made during a press panel launching the festival in Berlin.
A journalist asked jury members to address Germany’s political and military support for Israel and its human rights record.
The question referenced what the journalist called Germany’s “selective treatment of human rights” concerning Gaza.
Jury chair Wim Wenders, an acclaimed filmmaker, responded by saying artists “have to stay out of politics”.
Wenders said films that are overtly political cross into the realm of politicians rather than remaining works of art.
He described cinema as “the opposite of politics”, arguing filmmakers should represent people, not political agendas.
Roy strongly rejected that framing, stating that refusing to speak during genocide is itself a political act.
She wrote that art has always been shaped by power, violence, and resistance, whether acknowledged or not.
According to Roy, asking artists to disengage during mass suffering is a form of moral evasion.
She explicitly described Israel’s actions in Gaza as a genocide against the Palestinian people.
Roy said the violence is enabled by political, financial, and military support from Western governments.
She named the United States and Germany as key backers, accusing them of complicity in what she called an international crime.
The German government has been one of Israel’s most consistent allies since the war began.
Germany is also among Israel’s largest exporters of weapons, second only to the United States.
Critics argue this support has shaped Germany’s domestic response to protests and cultural dissent.
In recent years, Berlin has introduced stricter measures targeting pro-Palestinian activism.
Demonstrations have been restricted, and some public events cancelled over Gaza-related statements.
Cultural institutions have also come under scrutiny for how they police political expression.
Roy’s withdrawal adds to mounting pressure on German-funded arts organisations.
Another jury member, Polish producer Ewa Puszczynska, also responded to the journalist’s question.
Puszczynska said it was “a bit unfair” to expect filmmakers to answer for government policies.She added that many other wars involve genocide but do not receive the same attention.
Roy criticised that argument as a false equivalence that dilutes accountability.
She wrote that selective silence does not make injustice disappear, but normalises it.
Roy had been scheduled to attend the festival following the selection of her 1989 film.
Her film In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones was chosen for the Classics section.
The screening was expected to draw renewed attention to her early work in cinema.
Instead, her withdrawal has become a defining moment of this year’s festival.
The Berlin International Film Festival, also known as the Berlinale, runs from February 12 to 22.
It is one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals alongside Cannes and Venice.
The Berlinale has historically positioned itself as politically engaged.
In previous decades, it embraced films critical of war, imperialism, and authoritarianism.
Critics now question whether that legacy is being eroded under political pressure.
Roy’s decision echoes broader dissent within global cultural communities.
In 2024, more than 500 international artists signed an open letter calling for action.
They urged creatives to disengage from German-funded cultural institutions.
The signatories accused Germany of enforcing “McCarthyist policies”.
They claimed institutions were monitoring social media and public statements.
According to organisers, artists expressing solidarity with Palestinians were quietly excluded.
Roy referenced these practices as evidence of shrinking space for dissent.
She argued that cultural institutions cannot claim neutrality while enforcing ideological conformity.
The Gaza war has increasingly become a fault line across global arts and media.
Festivals, museums, and publishers have faced boycotts and resignations.
Many artists argue that moral clarity is unavoidable during mass civilian suffering.
Others insist art must remain insulated from politics to preserve creative freedom.
Roy dismissed that distinction as historically false.
She cited writers, filmmakers, and musicians who challenged power during apartheid and war.
For Roy, art divorced from reality risks becoming decorative rather than transformative.
Read also: Bitter dispute over Gaza’s future intensifies between Trump and EU
Her withdrawal has drawn support from activists and fellow writers worldwide.
It has also provoked criticism from those who see her stance as polarising.
The Berlinale has not issued a formal response addressing Roy’s criticisms.
The controversy continues to dominate discussion around the festival’s opening days.
As Gaza remains under siege, cultural silence is becoming increasingly contested.
Arundhati Roy quits Berlin Film Festival as a protest against enforced neutrality.
Her decision underscores a growing belief that art, in times of genocide, cannot look away.
Keyphrase list
Arundhati Roy quits Berlin Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival Gaza controversy, Wim Wenders jury remarks, artists and Gaza war, Germany Israel cultural backlash
About The Author
