Prominent Filmmakers Call for Boycott Over Gaza Conflict
London, UK – A coalition of over 1,500 actors, directors, and other film industry professionals have issued a powerful call for a boycott of film institutions deemed complicit in supporting the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The pledge, spearheaded by the group Workers for Palestine, aims too disrupt collaborations with festivals, cinemas, broadcasters, and production companies that signatories believe “exonerate or justify genocide and apartheid.”
The initiative draws direct inspiration from the cultural boycott movement against apartheid in South Africa, specifically referencing the “Filmmakers United Against Apartheid” campaign. Signatories argue that a similar approach is necessary to pressure institutions to acknowledge Palestinian rights and cease what they perceive as enabling the current crisis.
The statement specifically names the Jerusalem Film Festival and the Docaviv documentary film festival as examples of organizations that “continue to collaborate with the israeli government.” The pledge asserts that “the vast majority of Israeli companies for film production and distribution, sales agents, cinemas and other film institutions have never recognized the recognized international rights of the Palestinian people in their entirety.”
While the pledge focuses on institutions, it acknowledges that not all Israeli cinematic entities are considered complicit, tho it refrains from naming those deemed neutral. The signatories emphasize they are responding to a direct appeal from Palestinian filmmakers who have urged the international film industry to break its silence and reject “racism and dehumanization.”
Among the high-profile names lending their support to the boycott are acclaimed director Yorgos Lanthimos, actresses Ayo Edebiri and Tilda Swinton, Ava Duvernay, Riz Ahmed, and Josh O’Connor. The collective statement underscores a growing wave of dissent within the creative community regarding the international response to the situation in Gaza.
Source: Original reporting based on a statement released by Workers for palestine.
Further Reading
- Workers for Palestine – Official Website
- Amnesty International – Israel/Palestine Conflict
- Human Rights Watch – Israel/Palestine
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