UK film festival withdraws Nova showing as boycott of 'Israel' rises
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The Exeter International Dance Film Festival has pulled out an Israeli choreographer's production on the Nova film festival, citing aversion to productions related to global conflicts.
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Demonstrators demanding the boycott of the Israeli occupation during the Olympic Games demonstrate outside the Paris Olympic organizing committee headquarters, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Saint-Denis, outside Paris (AP)
A British film festival has removed an Israeli choreographer’s dance film honoring the Nova music festival, marking another example of the growing cultural boycott against "Israel" amid rising international scrutiny of its actions in Gaza.
The film, titled Rave and created by Dor Eldar, was pulled from the Exeter International Dance Film Festival’s lineup just two weeks before its opening. Eldar expressed his "great shock" and "disappointment" to Jewish News, as he had initially been invited to attend the festival in person.
The two-and-a-half-minute film reportedly features volunteer dancers and begins with a scene showing young men lifting women into a truck, recreating the events of October 7. Eldar explained that the piece was created as a response to the events that took place during the Nova festival.
Initially, the festival included the film in its program with a note labeling it as addressing the "Israeli-Palestinian conflict", a description that Eldar disputes. The film was later withdrawn via email, with organizers citing pressure from the artistic community and concerns about the "controversial and contentious" nature of the subject.
According to Jewish News, the festival organizers informed Eldar that they "don’t boycott Israeli films" but had decided to "boycott anything specifically commenting on events that have had an impact on ongoing conflicts around the world."
Cultural boycott of 'Israel' escalating globally: Israeli media
Last November, three Palestinians took to the stage during the opening ceremony of the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) in Amsterdam, holding a banner that read: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” The festival director was observed clapping with a resounding applause erupting throughout the hall thereafter.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz in April described this incident as "an early indication of what may follow," discussing "the mounting perception that Israel is being marginalized," in an investigative piece published on Thursday evening titled "We are undesirable people...almost the devil... The global boycott of Israeli culture is on the rise.”
The newspaper confirmed that despite condemnation from Israeli filmmakers and the announcement of a festival boycott by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Authority, the situation escalated to "more perilous." It added that even though Israeli filmmakers condemned what happened, social media was broadcasting the truth.
According to the newspaper, nearly all major film festivals during that period have been compelled to factor in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, to the point where every involvement of Israeli films or Israeli artists now harbors the potential for a scandal.
The newspaper pondered the justification for any surprise at festival directors now opting to steer clear of Israeli films like the plague, or at members of the Israeli film industry finding themselves excluded and shunned.
