Over 1,300 artists, including Hollywood figures, vow to
boycott Israeli film institutions accused of complicity in abuses amid the Gaza
war.
The artists, which include Olivia Colman, Ayo Edebiri, Mark Ruffalo, Riz Ahmed, Tilda Swinton, and Javier Bardem, denounced the "unrelenting horror" in Gaza, where Israel has destroyed half of the area and killed over 64,000 Palestinians, in a promise made public on Monday.
“Inspired by Filmmakers United Against Apartheid who refused to screen their films in apartheid South Africa, we pledge not to screen films, appear at or otherwise work with Israeli film institutions – including festivals, cinemas, broadcasters and production companies – that are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people,”
the statement read.
It further stated that "whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid, and/or partnering with the government committing them" are examples of complicity in Israeli rights crimes.
The commitment referenced decisions by the International Court of Justice that determined that Israel is guilty of genocide and that the occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel is unlawful.
Prominent scholars, human rights organizations, and UN specialists have charged Israel with committing genocide against Palestinians during the 23-month Gaza conflict.
One of the most serious war crimes is genocide, which the UN defines as "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group."
Celebrities have long been urged by Palestinian rights activists to use their fame and platform to raise awareness of the suffering of Palestinians.
One of the statement's signatories, Oscar-nominated director Mike Lerner, described the promise as a "non-violent tool" to challenge Israel's impunity for its actions against Palestinians.
“It is the responsibility of every independently minded artist to use whatever powers of expression they possess to support the global resistance to overcome this horror,”
Lerner said in a statement.
Hollywood has long been pro-Israel, creating films such as the 1960 picture Exodus, which celebrated Israel's creation, and frequently mentioning Israel favorably in blockbusters.
However, a number of actors and filmmakers have recently voiced their opposition to Israel's actions, often at the expense of their own careers.
For instance, after attending a Palestine solidarity protest in 2023, actress Susan Sarandon who signed Monday's pledge was fired by her employment agency.
Melissa Barrera, who also supported the boycott call, lost her job in the horror franchise Scream after posting unfavorable remarks about Israel on social media following the start of the conflict in Gaza.
However, there are still more and more pro-Palestinian voices in the film business.
In March, the Oscar for best documentary feature went to the Israeli-Palestinian film No Other Land, which focused on the continuous destruction of the Palestinian hamlet of Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank.
More recently, The Voice of Hind Rajab, which tells the story of a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was trapped in a car with slain family members before Israeli soldiers also killed her, received a 23-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival.
The movie centres on Rajab’s heart-wrenching calls to rescuers while under Israeli fire in Gaza City.
Monday’s pledge comes as Israel pushes to systematically destroy Gaza City, having already levelled most of the besieged enclave.
“As filmmakers, actors, film industry workers, and institutions, we recognise the power of cinema to shape perceptions,”
the statement said.
“In this urgent moment of crisis, where many of our governments are enabling the carnage in Gaza, we must do everything we can to address complicity in that unrelenting horror.”
How might this boycott affect upcoming international film festivals?
Numerous filmmakers, actors, and international industry
professionals who signed the boycott pledge may choose to no longer participate
in festivals that show films or involve institutions associated with Israel,
which may lead to high-profile withdrawal or less attendance.
Festivals may face increased pressure to stop showing events or productions supported by the Israeli government or to allow institutions to partner with them [Israel], in order to comply with the boycott and avoid accusations of complicity in an alleged abuse.
The boycott may raise increased conversations within the film festival community about freedom of expression versus complicity in grievous human rights violation, which may lead to confrontations and/or internal divisions or backlash.