Indian author Arundhati Roy has pulled out of the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) following remarks by jury members on the Gaza conflict. She cited their refusal to engage politically as “jaw-dropping” and “unconscionable.”
Key Events
Roy, the 1997 Booker Prize winner for The God of Small Things, was set to present a 4K-restored version of her 1989 TV film In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones, where she wrote the screenplay and starred. The campus comedy, directed by Pradip Krishen, features a young Shah Rukh Khan and screens in the festival’s Classics section from February 12-22, 2026.
During the festival’s opening press conference on February 12, jury president Wim Wenders stated filmmakers must “stay out of politics” when questioned on Germany’s support for Israel amid Gaza. Jury member Ewa Puszczyńska called the query “a bit unfair,” noting other global conflicts.
Roy’s Statement
In a statement shared with AFP and outlets like The Wire, Roy expressed being “shocked and disgusted,” labeling Israel’s actions a “genocide of the Palestinian people.” She warned that history would judge artists silent on the issue, despite past solidarity from German audiences. Roy withdrew “with deep regret.”
Broader Context
The decision highlights tensions at cultural events over Gaza, ongoing since Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel (1,221 deaths per Israeli figures) and Israel’s response (over 71,000 Palestinian deaths per Gaza health ministry). Germany, a major festival funder and Israel’s second-largest arms supplier, faces criticism for suppressing pro-Palestine expression.
