Swiss Film Festival Pulls Israeli Movie "Independence" Amid Boycott Threats
Translated & summarized from Israel Hayom by baba
The Everybody's Perfect queer film festival in Geneva removed the Israeli film "Independence" from its program after receiving boycott threats from pro-Palestinian groups. The threats, which included emails from "Palestine, Filmer C'est Exister," led organizers to cancel screenings. Despite assurances from director Moshe Rosenthal and producers that the film does not represent the Israeli government, the festival cited a desire to avoid controversy as the reason for its removal. The film's producers criticized the decision, questioning the precedent set for international filmmakers.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- The Everybody's Perfect film festival in Geneva removed the Israeli film "Independence" due to boycott threats.
- Pro-Palestinian organizations, including "Palestine, Filmer C'est Exister," issued the boycott threats.
- Festival organizers stated the film "Independence" has no connection to current events in the region.
- Director Moshe Rosenthal and producers stated they do not represent the Israeli government.
- The festival cited a desire to avoid controversy as the reason for removing the film.
- The film's producers questioned the requirement for filmmakers to declare political stances.
The Everybody's Perfect queer film festival in Geneva, Switzerland, has removed the Israeli film "Independence" from its program following boycott threats from a collective of local organizations, including a Palestinian film festival. The film, directed by Moshe Rosenthal, was initially selected for the festival's lineup. "Independence" recently garnered attention as Israel's submission for the International Feature Film category at the Oscars and set a record for the most nominations at the Israeli Film Academy Awards.
Festival organizers announced on Monday the cancellation of two scheduled screenings of the film due to the boycott threats, which they stated originated from the Geneva-based "Palestine, Filmer C'est Exister" festival via email last Thursday. Charlotte Spector, the festival's Head of Communications, described the threats as "very big" and emphasized that "Independence," a story set in the 1980s about a 12-year-old boy discovering a secret about his father, has no connection to current events or the long-standing conflict between Israel and Gaza.
Other groups reportedly pressuring the festival to drop the film included Student Coordination for Palestine at the University of Geneva, BDS Geneva, CRAQ, and Marad. Following the boycott threats, festival organizers asked Rosenthal to declare his stance on the current Israeli government and the war in Palestine. Rosenthal and the film's producers, Green Productions, responded that they do not represent the Israeli government nor do they produce films supporting its policies.
Despite receiving this statement, which Spector confirmed was shared with media organizations, the festival decided on Monday to remove the film. The festival's Artistic Director, Sylvie Cachin, stated that the cancellation was not about the film itself but a desire to avoid controversy just days before the festival's opening. The producers of "Independence" told Variety that filmmakers should not be held responsible for government policies and that many Israelis oppose the war and are critical of their government. They questioned whether Iranian or American filmmakers would be required to make similar declarations about their governments.
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