Indian author Arundhati Roy has pulled out of the Berlin Film Festival after the event’s organisers refused to speak about the war in Gaza.
Arundhati Roy, who won the prestigious Booker Prize in 1997, said she was “shocked and disgusted” by comments made at a press conference on Thursday.
During the press conference, jury president Wim Wenders was asked about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He responded by saying cinema should “stay out of politics.” Another jury member called it “unfair” to expect them to take a position on the issue.
Roy was scheduled to attend the festival to present a restored version of her 1989 film In Which Annie Gives It Those One, which marked Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan’s first film appearance. She has now withdrawn from the event.
In a statement, Roy called the jury members’ responses “unconscionable” and said their claim that art should not be political was “jaw-dropping.”
She described Israel’s military actions in Gaza as genocide against Palestinians and warned that “history will judge” artistes and filmmakers who fail to speak up.
The Berlin Film Festival said it respects Roy’s decision but regrets that she will not attend, as her presence “would have enriched the festival discourse.”

The current war began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing over 1,200 people. Israel’s military response has resulted in more than 71,000 deaths in Gaza, according to Gaza’s health ministry.The Berlin Film Festival is known for addressing political and social issues, making the jury’s refusal to comment on Gaza particularly controversial.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​