Overview
- Roy announced her withdrawal in a statement to The Wire, saying she would not attend the 2026 festival.
- She had been scheduled to present the 1989 film In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones in the Classics section.
- In her statement, Roy called events in Gaza a genocide and accused the United States, Germany, and other European governments of complicity.
- Berlinale jury president Wim Wenders said movies should stay out of politics, and juror Ewa Puszczyńska also declined to take a position on Gaza.
- The controversy has sharpened scrutiny of the German government–backed festival and revived debate over cultural institutions’ responsibilities during humanitarian crises.