Can Film Change the World? How Movies Sparked Real-Life Political Change

Arundhati Roy, the Booker Prize-winning author, has withdrawn from the international jury at the Berlin International Film Festival, citing “unconscionable” comments from jury president Wim Wenders regarding the role of politics in cinema. Roy’s decision, announced Friday, came after Wenders suggested filmmakers should remain apolitical, a position Roy vehemently opposed.

Wenders made the comments during a press conference on Thursday, responding to questions about the conflict in Gaza and the potential for film to effect political change. He stated that even as “movies can change the world,” they should not do so in a “political way,” arguing that filmmakers should be “the counterweight of politics, we are the opposite of politics. We have to do the work of people, not the work of politicians.”

Roy, who was scheduled to present Pradip Krishen’s 1989 film In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones, responded with a statement calling Wenders’ views “jaw-dropping.” She argued that to suggest art should be divorced from politics is to “shut down a conversation about a crime against humanity even as it unfolds before us in real time.”

Roy’s withdrawal highlights a long-standing debate about the responsibility of artists and filmmakers to engage with social and political issues. While Wenders emphasized the power of cinema to foster empathy, Roy and others contend that films can be a direct catalyst for change, influencing public opinion and even prompting legislative action.

Several examples demonstrate the tangible impact of film on policy. Sebastián Lelio’s 2017 film A Fantastic Woman, which garnered international acclaim and an Academy Award, is credited with contributing to a shift in the political climate in Chile, ultimately leading to the passage of the country’s gender identity law. According to reports, Lelio and the film’s team were invited to the presidential palace by then-President Michelle Bachelet following the film’s success.

Similarly, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s 2016 Oscar-winning documentary, A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, which addressed “honour” killings in Pakistan, reportedly prompted the Pakistani prime minister to pledge changes to the law. Obaid-Chinoy stated in her acceptance speech that the prime minister would “change the law on ‘honour’ killing after watching this film.” The Pakistani government subsequently passed legislation imposing stricter punishments for such crimes.

Beyond documentary film, narrative features have also spurred legislative change. In 2011, a bill was passed in the Kurdistan parliament outlawing female genital mutilation following the release of a documentary by Shara Amin and Nabaz Ahmed, which spent ten years documenting the practice and its impact. Ahmed told the Guardian that showing the film in parliament was “a great breakthrough.”

The influence of film extends beyond recent examples. Ken Loach’s 1966 television play, Cathy Come Home, which depicted a family’s descent into homelessness, is widely credited with raising public awareness and contributing to the creation of the homelessness charity Crisis. While the immediate impact was the founding of the charity, it took until 1977 for the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act to be passed, guaranteeing housing rights for families like Cathy’s.

More recently, the ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office, detailing the wrongful convictions of subpostmasters in the UK, is believed to have played a crucial role in prompting legislative action. The Post Office (Horizon System) Compensation Act 2024 and Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024 were passed in response to the widespread public outcry following the broadcast.

Hwang Dong-hyuk’s 2011 drama Silenced, which exposed sexual abuse at a school for deaf children in South Korea, sparked public outrage and led to the passage of the “Dogani law,” eliminating the statute of limitations for sexual crimes against children and disabled individuals.

Even Cold War-era films have demonstrated the potential for influencing policy. Nicholas Meyer’s 1983 television film, The Day After, depicting a nuclear attack on the United States, reportedly had a profound impact on President Ronald Reagan, leading him to adopt a more diplomatic approach to nuclear policy and ultimately contributing to the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987.

The debate over the role of politics in art, and the power of film to effect change, continues. The Berlinale has not yet responded to requests for comment on Roy’s withdrawal, and Wenders’ position remains unchanged.