On Monday, Film Workers for Palestine released a powerful new pledge that has already been signed by hundreds of actors and filmmakers worldwide. “As film workers, we believe we must meet our ethical obligation to do no harm,” reads an FAQ section for the pledge. The signees are calling on their peers to stop working with Israeli film institutions “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.” The text of the pledge, which was first shared exclusively with The Guardian, was accompanied by a link to sign the missive online.
When the pledge was published, it had already attracted 1,200 signatories, and by Tuesday afternoon, the names included Adam McKay, Ava DuVernay, Ayo Edebiri, Cynthia Nixon, Gael García Bernal, Javier Bardem, Josh O’Connor, Lukas Dhont, Mark Ruffalo, Olivia Colman, Riz Ahmed, Susan Sarandon, Tilda Swinton, Xavier Dolan, Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, Julie Christie, Ken Loach, and Aimee Lou Wood.
These film professionals are pledging to stop working with organizations they consider complicit in the killings of and assaults on Palestinian civilians. The signatories explain their approach in the pledge: “As filmmakers, actors, film industry workers, and institutions, we recognize the power of cinema to shape perceptions. 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.”
The letter continues, “We answer the call of Palestinian filmmakers, who have urged the international film industry to refuse silence, racism, and dehumanization, as well as to ‘do everything humanly possible’ to end complicity in their oppression. 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 Filmmakers United Against Apartheid movement was founded in 1987 by Jonathan Demme and Martin Scorsese to try to prevent all American or US-funded films from being shown in South Africa.
Film Workers for Palestine is pointedly targeting institutions rather than individual Israelis. “The call is for film workers to refuse to work with Israeli institutions that are complicit in Israel’s human rights abuses against the Palestinian people. This refusal takes aim at institutional complicity, not identity,” the pledge’s FAQ states. “We see this pledge as representing one important step on a journey towards reducing and ultimately ending complicity in oppression.”
The group is also suggesting to signees the option of including a clause in film contracts to ensure their projects do not go against the boycott guidelines. It proposes a model clause that was written in collaboration with Palestine Legal, an advocacy group for supporters of Palestinian rights, and the British cultural network Artists for Palestine UK.
The Israeli Producers Association responded to the pledge in a statement to The Guardian. “For decades, we Israeli artists, storytellers, and creators have been the primary voices allowing audiences to hear and witness the complexity of the conflict, including Palestinian narratives and criticism of Israeli state policies. We work with Palestinian creators, telling our shared stories and promoting peace and an end to violence through thousands of films, TV series, and documentaries,” the collective explained.
“This call for boycott is profoundly misguided,” it continued. “By targeting us—the creators who give voice to diverse narratives and foster dialogue—these signatories are undermining their own cause and attempting to silence us. This shortsighted act seeks to eliminate precisely the collaborative efforts working toward ending violence and achieving peace. We will not allow this and will push back in our efforts to end violence and bring just peace to our region for the benefit of all.”
Originally published in Vanity Fair France.
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