Arundhati skips Berlin fest over jury’s ‘stay off politics’ remark
The novelist pulls out of the Berlin festival after denouncing jury remarks on Gaza and rejecting the idea that art can remain apolitical in the face of war.
Booker Prize-winning novelist and political essayist Arundhati Roy has withdrawn from the Berlin International Film Festival, saying she was “shocked and disgusted” by comments from members of the festival’s jury that film-makers should remain outside politics, at a time of war in Gaza.
Roy had been expected to attend a screening of In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones, the 1989 film for which she wrote the screenplay, selected this year for the festival’s Classics section, an invitation she described as carrying unexpected emotional weight. “There was something sweet and wonderful about this for me,” she wrote of the film’s return nearly four decades later.
Her decision not to travel to Berlin, announced on Friday, turns what is typically a celebratory archival showcase into the latest flashpoint in a widening cultural debate over how major European institutions respond to the conflict.
In a written statement given to the news outlet The Wire, Roy said that calls for artistic neutrality in the face of mass violence amounted to “a way of shutting down a conversation about a crime against humanity even as it unfolds in real time”, adding that this was precisely the moment when “artists, writers and film makers should be doing everything in their power to stop it”.
At a press conference on Thursday, festival jury led by German director Wim Wenders was asked whether cinema could influence political outcomes. Wenders responded that while films might change people, they could not change political decisions, and that film-makers “have to stay out of politics”, describing artists as a counterweight rather than participants in political life.
Another juror, the Polish producer Ewa Puszczyńska, called questions linking the festival to Germany’s support for Israel “a bit unfair”, adding that artists could not be responsible for the political choices of audiences.
Roy’s statement was unequivocal in its language about Gaza. “Let me say this clearly,” she wrote. “What has happened in Gaza, what continues to happen, is a genocide of the Palestinian people by the State of Israel.” She added that the violence was “supported and funded by the governments of the United States and Germany, as well as several other countries in Europe, which makes them complicit in the crime.”
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The remarks by the jury, she wrote, were “jaw-dropping,” not only for what they said about art but for what they declined to name. Although she said she had long been “profoundly disturbed” by Germany’s official position on Palestine, she had considered attending because “I have always received political solidarity when I have spoken to German audiences.”
For Roy the issue was not the autonomy of art but its moral horizon. “If the greatest film makers and artists of our time cannot stand up and say so,” she wrote, “they should know that history will judge them.” “With deep regret, I must say that I will not be attending the Berlinale,” the statement concluded.
Aishwarya Khosla is a senior editorial figure at The Indian Express, where she spearheads the digital strategy and execution for the Books & Literature and Puzzles & Games sections. With over eight years of experience in high-stakes journalism, Aishwarya specializes in literary criticism, cultural commentary, and long-form features that explore the complex intersection of identity, politics, and social change.
Aishwarya’s analytical depth is anchored by her prestigious Nehru Fellowship in Politics and Elections. This intensive research fellowship in policy analysis and political communications informs her nuanced approach to cultural journalism, allowing her to provide readers with unique insights into how literature and media reflect broader political shifts.
As a trusted voice for the Indian Express audience, she authors the popular newsletters, Meanwhile, Back Home and Books 'n' Bits, and hosts the podcast series, Casually Obsessed.
Before her current role, Aishwarya spent several years at Hindustan Times, where she provided dedicated coverage of the Punjabi diaspora, theater, and national politics. Her career is defined by a commitment to intellectual rigor, making her a definitive authority on modern Indian culture and letters.
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