More than 3,900 figures from the film and TV world have announced a historic boycott of Israel in support of Palestine. The group, which includes directors such as Yorgos Lanthimos, Ava DuVernay, Adam McKay, Boots Riley, Emma Seligman, Joshua Oppenheimer, and Mike Leigh, as well as actors like Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, Ayo Edebiri, Lily Gladstone, Mark Ruffalo, Riz Ahmed, Melissa Barrera, Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, and Josh O’Connor, has joined the campaign launched by the “Film Workers for Palestine” organization. The directors and actors declared that under this campaign, they will not work with Israeli companies accused of being complicit in “genocide” against the Palestinian people.
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As of September 10, the letter has now reached 3,900 signees, with Joaquin Phoenix, Nicola Coughlan, Andrew Garfield, Harris Dickinson, Bowen Yang, Rooney Mara, Guy Pearce, Jonathan Glazer, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Fisher Stevens, Abbi Jacobson, Eric Andre, Elliot Page, Payal Kapadia, and Emma D’Arcy adding their names under the letter.
The statement, titled “A Pledge Against Complicity”, draws inspiration from the 1987 initiative Filmmakers United Against Apartheid, which was spearheaded by Jonathan Demme and Martin Scorsese to oppose the racist regime in South Africa.
In its declaration, Film Workers for Palestine stated:
“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.“
Those who signed the campaign also pledged not to participate in Israeli-linked film festivals such as the Jerusalem Film Festival, Haifa International Film Festival, Docaviv, and TLVFest. They will likewise refuse to collaborate with Israeli cinemas, production companies, or broadcasters.
