Arundhati Roy withdraws from Berlin Film Festival over Wim Wenders’ remarks on politics

Award-winning Indian author Arundhati Roy has withdrawn from the Berlin International Film Festival, citing comments by jury president Wim Wenders suggesting that cinema should “stay out of politics.”

During a press conference on Thursday, Wenders was asked about Germany’s support for Israel amid the war in Gaza. In response, he said, “We cannot really enter the field of politics,” describing filmmakers as “the counterweight to politics.”

Roy, who won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her debut novel The God of Small Things, had been scheduled to attend the festival to present a restored print of the 1989 film In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones, for which she wrote the screenplay and also acted.

Speaking to AFP, Roy said she felt “shocked and disgusted” by remarks made by Wenders and other jury members when questions about Gaza were raised. She described the statements as “unconscionable” and said they forced her to reconsider her participation “with deep regret.”

“To hear them say that art should not be political is jaw-dropping,” Roy said, adding strong criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

Festival organisers acknowledged the decision. “The Berlinale respects these decisions,” a festival spokeswoman said, adding that Roy’s presence “would have enriched the festival discourse.”

The festival has also seen the withdrawal of restored prints of films by late Egyptian directors Atteyat Al Abnoudy and Hussein Shariffe, amid wider debates surrounding the event’s stance on the Gaza conflict.

The Berlin International Film Festival, long known for politically engaged programming, has previously faced controversy related to the war. In 2024, its documentary prize went to No Other Land, a film depicting the displacement of Palestinian communities in the West Bank, prompting criticism from some German officials over comments made during the awards ceremony.

The Gaza war began after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed more than 1,200 people, according to official Israeli figures. Israel’s subsequent military operations have led to heavy casualties in Gaza, as reported by authorities in the territory.