US Edition
Berlin Film Festival Fends Off Criticism After Jury President Wim Wenders Rebuffs Calls to Criticize Israel
Arundhati Roy protested the festival's stance on political discourse, highlighting tensions as 278 films were shown amid geopolitical and domestic political controversies.
- On opening day last Thursday, the 76th Berlinale's jury faced questions about Gaza, sparking tensions and prompting organisers to plead for calm amid a filmmaker's pullout.
- Pressure from U.S. politics, including images of ICE agents and rising protests, has influenced questions faced by Neil Patrick Harris and Michelle Yeoh at Berlinale.
- Wim Wenders, jury member , said `We have to stay out of politics because if we make movies that are political, we enter the field of politics.`, and the programme included 278 films covering many perspectives, organisers said.
- Arundhati Roy withdrew from the festival, calling the suggestion that art should not be political `jaw-dropping`, while Michelle Yeoh declined detailed comment on U.S. politics to focus on cinema.
- Last year, 336,000 tickets were sold to the 11-day festival, and festival organisers said artists face criticism whether they answer political questions or not.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy withdraws from Berlinale film festival over Gaza
Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy has announced her withdrawal from the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) because of filmmaker Wim Wenders’ “jaw-dropping” comments on Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Roy described Wenders’ comments as “a way of shutting down a conversation about a crime against humanity even as it unfolds before us in real time”. Wenders said at a press conference on 12 February 2026 that the art world should “sta…
Sydney Morning Herald
Brisbane Times‘Jaw-dropping’: Politics casts a long shadow over cinema at Berlin film festival
From Wim Wenders’ controversial plea to “stay out of politics” to Arundhati Roy’s abrupt withdrawal, the prestigious German festival is engulfed in a geopolitical fight.
Instead of cinema, there is once again a dispute about "genocide" in Berlin: filmmakers are supposed to confess their attitude, and jury president Wim Wenders is caught in the crossfire.
The famous Berlinale festival is currently halfway through and heading towards Saturday's awards ceremony. "Film cannot change politics, but it can change people's view of the world," said Wim Wenders, president of the festival's main jury.
Arundhati Roy withdraws from the Berlinale following Wim Wenders' statements about Gaza. The writer denounces the depoliticization of the genocide. Regeneración, February 16, 2026.– […] The entry Arundhati Roy Will Not Participate in Berlinale, due to Gaza was first published on RegeneraciónMX.
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