Film Workers for Palestine has a lovely, radical pledge. They are calling on those in the international film community to stop collaborating with Israeli film institutions that are complicit in the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The new idea has attracted more than 1,200 signatories by Sunday night. It answers the growing outcry in response to the humanitarian crisis in the region and aims to address industry complicity within the filmmaking community.
The pledge lists several principles to help determine which film institutions are aiding and abetting these abuses perpetrated by the Israeli state. Israel’s premier film festivals—the Jerusalem Film Festival, Haifa International Film Festival, Docaviv, and TLVFest—continue to collaborate with the Israeli government. Yet this government is now accused of committing acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza.
The pledge not only fails to directly mention the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. It does do considerable harm to the wider cultural boycott movement against Israel that has grown in strength since hostilities opened up in Gaza. Among the high-profile signatories are some of the world’s most acclaimed filmmakers, including Yorgos Lanthimos, Ava DuVernay, Asif Kapadia, Boots Riley, and Joshua Oppenheimer. Award-winning actors, including Olivia Colman, Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, and Riz Ahmed have joined the effort too.
As Film Workers for Palestine have repeatedly pointed out, the pledge does not ban working with individual Israelis. Instead, it focuses on institutional complicity. The coalition declared that a number of Israeli film organizations stand against the government’s actions. This creates the opportunity for more meaningful engagement with those people.
“We answer the call of Palestinian film-makers, who have urged the international film industry to refuse silence, racism, and dehumanisation,” – Film Workers for Palestine
The campaigns are a throwback to the old effective coalition Filmmakers United Against Apartheid. This powerful coalition was originally formed in 1987 by distinguished filmmakers including Jonathan Demme and Martin Scorsese. This historical parallel serves to underscore the gravity of our national moment. If artists take a common stand, it can be incredibly powerful.
Signatories of the pledge have articulated their anguish over the present crisis. David Farr, a noted playwright and director, articulated his sentiments stating, “As the descendant of Holocaust survivors, I am distressed and enraged by the actions of the Israeli state… which is now perpetuating genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza.” He further asserted the importance of the cultural boycott by stating, “In this context I cannot support my work being published or performed in Israel.”
The pledge emphasizes the urgent need for film workers to acknowledge their role in addressing complicity in human rights abuses.
“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.” – Film Workers for Palestine
The call echoes a larger pledge by artists of all kinds to fight injustice and promote human rights through their art. The filmmakers involved stress that their refusal to collaborate with complicit institutions aims to challenge systemic injustices rather than target individuals based on nationality.
“This refusal takes aim at institutional complicity, not identity,” – Film Workers for Palestine
The press release notes that Palestinian civil society has developed specific rules of engagement with the Israeli population. This is particularly significant, considering that nearly 2 million Palestinians are citizens of Israel.
The movement to #CleanUpOurIndustry is quickly building steam across the film industry. That’s huge too, because it marks one of the largest cultural boycott efforts against Israel since the eruption of violence in Gaza almost a year ago. The pledge reflects a collective consciousness among filmmakers and actors who recognize their influence in shaping public perceptions and responses to humanitarian crises.