Representatives of the Israeli film industry redouble the efforts to show caution against the wisdom of a commitment signed by some 1,800 important professionals promising not to work with Israeli cinematographic institutions which, according to them, are “involved in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people”.
The commitment, announced on Monday, was initially signed by 1,200 filmmakers, including Yorgos Lanthimos, Ava Duvernay, Here Kapadia, Bots Rile and Joshua Oppenheimer; And the actors Olivia Colman, Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, Ayo Edebiri, Josh O’Connor, Cynthia Nixoon, Julie Christie, Ilana Glazer, Rebecca Hall, Aime Lou Wood and Debra Winger.
Since then, 600 other cinema professionals have joined their number, notably Jonathan Glazer, Emma Stone and James Schamus, Peter Sarsgaard and Lily Gladstone.
“As filmmakers, actors, workers in the film industry and institutions, we recognize the power of cinema to shape perceptions,” says The Pledge. “In this urgent moment of crisis, where many of our governments allow carnage in Gaza, we must do our best to fight against complicity in this relentless horror.”
But the representatives of Israeli cinema are now expressed against this decision, which is inspired by the cultural boycott which contributed to the end of apartheid in South Africa. In a press release shared with The Guardian on Tuesday, Nadav Ben Simon, president of the Guild of Israeli writers, said that he had found calls to “boycott Israeli creators” deeply disturbing and counterproductive.
“For decades, Israeli creators, artists and storytellers – including – have devoted our work to reflect the complexity of our reality,” he wrote. “We have always given voice to Palestinian stories, criticism of government policies and the various perspectives that shape our society.
“Over the years, we have also collaborated with Palestinian colleagues on films, series and documentaries that seek to encourage dialogue, mutual understanding, peace and the end of violence.
“The boycott calls for Israeli creators are deeply disturbing. They do not advance the cause of peace. Instead, they precisely harm those determined to promote dialogue and build bridges between peoples. Such measures may silence the very voices that strive tirelessly for reconciliation and understanding. ”
The engagement communicates the signatories not to project films, to appear or to work otherwise with what he considers as accomplices institutions – including festivals, cinemas, broadcasters and production companies. Examples of complicity include “whitening or justification of genocide and apartheid, and / or a partnership with the government that commits them”.
“We respond to the call of Palestinian filmmakers, who urged the international film industry to refuse silence, racism and dehumanization, as well as to” do everything that was humanly possible “to end the complicity in their oppression”, indicates the declaration.
However, Simon retorts that he had his “creative colleagues” to remain “firm … believing that stories are powerful tools for empathy, healing and connection. We will continue to use our profession to promote peace for all those who live in our region.
“In moments like these, we, as creators, must be devoted to the amplification of light, and not to deepen the darkness.”
In a later note, Simon sought to clarify that “in Israel, there is no boycott institutions without affecting creators. In small countries with a unique language, like Israel, almost all original creative work – especially in cinema – is supported by public funding. There are very few Israeli films which are not funded in a way in a way by state institutions or foundations. Directly a boycott of all Israeli creators and Israeli artistic production. »»
Simon’s declaration was resolved in a separate joint declaration sent to the Guardian by Lior Elefant, of the Israeli documentary forum, and the Merav Etrog bar, of the Guild of Israeli directors, who declared that the creatives were wrong with representatives of the Israeli government.
“The filmmakers in Israel have given voice to complex stories, in particular with regard to Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, including direct criticism of state institutions and their representatives,” said their declaration.
“Many films and series, both documentary and narrative, produced in Israel have dealt with this subject of sensitivity, equity and critical thinking; There are thousands of examples of this. Although Israeli filmmakers are not their government, we are responsible for its actions and we find ourselves taking between a rock and a hard rock: one side, attempts to silen inside and to the other, to the international boycott.
They added: “In addition to the many direct victims, the war in Gaza also buried international collaborations in Israeli culture and cinema. Murder and suffering on both sides of the border.
Since the publication of The Pledge on Monday, the Association of Israeli producers has also published a statement saying that “the signatories of this petition have been targeting bad people”.
“For decades, we, artists, storytellers and creators Israeli, we were the main voices allowing the public to hear and testify the complexity of the conflict, including the Palestinian accounts and the criticism of Israeli state policies. We work with Palestinian creators, telling our stories shared and promoting peace and the end of violence through thousands of films, television series and documentaries.
“This call for boycott is deeply wrong. By targeting us – the creators who give voice to various stories and promote dialogue – these signatories undermined their own cause and try to silence us. This short -sighted act seeks to precisely eliminate collaboration efforts to end violence and bring peace. Everything, ”they added.
Meanwhile, Avigail Sperber, an Israeli filmmaker celebrated by the government of his country, wrote on Facebook of his initial horror to The Pledge, before rebuilding his response and concluding that the cost of domestic cinema was negligible compared to that of the current conflict.
“The initial natural response”, [to seeing the Guardian story]She wrote: “was the offense and the shock. After all, most of us are opposed to this war and atrocities in the West Bank and Gaza. We create critical art, sign petitions, go to manifestations. So why are we the target? “
Sperber then largely rejected the subsequent repudiation of the promise of the Association of Producers, because “as long as these atrocities are carried out in our name, we do not do enough. The responsibility is also about us. And at a time when I feel helpless, I hope the world succeeds. That they do everything it takes to go to the I Israeli’s strength to arrest this horrible war. The seat on Gaza.
“And yes, our films will also be injured. But the cost is worth putting an end to this bloodshed and starting to heal this bleeding region.”
Sperber then put forward an alternative position that she would prefer the bodies of the industry of her country to adopt:
“Thank you, dear colleagues from the world. Thank you for not having been indifferent to atrocity. Thank you for supporting us, those of us who cannot change this reality by ourselves. We hope that with your help, we will succeed in putting an end to this war. ”
The original engagement, published by the Film Workers for Palestine group, affirms that “the vast majority of the production and distribution companies of Israeli films, sales agents, cinemas and other cinematographic institutions have never approved the complete and international rights of the Palestinian people”.
He also notes that there are “some Israeli cinematographic entities which are not accomplices” and advise following “directives established by Palestinian civil society”.
The cinemas of Israel currently generate around $ 80 million in box office revenues, with American blockbusters for the majority of this sum. The national industry also stimulates ticket sales, with drama from Soda and Thriller Highway 65 attracting the public this year.
The films in small groups that use international are rarer but not insignificant. The titles that praised in film festivals in the world include late marriage, turn to the left at the end of the world and the synonyms, the drama of Nadav Lapid, which won the Golden Bear of Berlin in 2019. Two years later, its follow -up, Ahed Knee, shared the jury price in Cannes.
In 2011, the Oscar for the best short documentary was won by Israel foreigners, while two years later, the guards and 5 broken cameras, a Palestinian-Israeli co-production, were nominated for the best documentary.
Meanwhile, The Band’s Visit by Eran Kolirin (2007) and Waltz by Ari Folman with Bashir (2008) both attracted the praise of criticism in Israel and the world.
The notable names not to appear on the petition include directors of any other land, the Israeli-Palestinian co-production which documented the forced displacement of the Palestinians from their houses in Masafer Yatta, a region of the occupied West Bank targeted by Israeli forces. The film won the Oscar for the best documentary earlier this year.
The Guardian contacted them for comments, as well as other filmmakers whose names do not appear but who have spoken publicly of the conflict, notably Hiam Abbass, Sacha Baron Cohen, Shira Haas, Natalie Portman, Gal Gadot, Ari Folman and László Nemes.
