Arundhati Roy ‘shocked’ by jury’s Gaza remarks, quits Berlin film festival
Summary
Indian author Arundhati Roy has pulled out of the Berlin International Film Festival after expressing her disapproval of jury members' comments regarding the conflict in Gaza, which she described as a genocide. The controversy came after jury chair Wim Wenders stated that filmmakers should avoid political issues. Roy emphasized that artists should actively oppose the war in Gaza.Key Facts
- Arundhati Roy is an Indian author who has withdrawn from the Berlin International Film Festival.
- She criticized the festival jury's remarks, particularly those by chair Wim Wenders, about art not being political.
- Roy described the conflict in Gaza as a genocide committed by Israel.
- She claimed that governments in the United States and Germany support and fund this conflict.
- At the festival's opening panel, a journalist questioned the jury about the German government's role in the Gaza conflict.
- Jury chair Wim Wenders stated that filmmakers should remain apolitical and distinct from politics.
- The Berlin Film Festival runs from February 12 to 22.
- In 2024, over 500 international artists called for a boycott of German cultural institutions for suppressing pro-Palestinian expressions.
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