Arundhati Roy ‘shocked’ by jury’s Gaza remarks, quits Berlin film festival

Al JazeeraEN 2 min read 100% complete by Lyndal RowlandsFebruary 14, 2026 at 04:16 AM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Indian author Arundhati Roy withdrew from the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2026, citing "unconscionable statements" by jury members regarding the war in Gaza. Roy expressed shock and disgust at the jury's sentiment that art should remain apolitical, particularly in light of the ongoing conflict. The controversy arose after jury chair Wim Wenders responded to a question about German support for Israel by stating filmmakers should avoid politics. Roy characterized the events in Gaza as a genocide of the Palestinian people by the State of Israel, supported by the US and Germany, and argued that artists should actively work to stop the war.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

The Wire 40% State of Israel 50% United States 60% Berlin International Film Festival ×270% Germany ×375% Wim Wenders ×480% Israel ×385% Arundhati Roy ×390% Gaza Strip ×695%

Keywords

gaza 100% berlin film festival 90% arundhati roy 80% genocide 80% wim wenders 70% israel 60% political art 60% german support 50% crime against humanity 50% politics 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Gaza

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis.

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gaza berlin film festival arundhati roy genocide wim wenders israel political art german support crime against humanity politics

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