International filmmakers have called out Doc Edge for its “art-washing” of Israeli racism and apartheid against Palestinians.
The filmmakers letter is here https://tiny.one/DecoloniseDocEdge
Open Letter from DocEdge Festival Filmmakers Opposing Apartheid Funding
Tēnā koutou,
As filmmakers and participants in DocEdge Film Festival, we are deeply concerned by the festival’s continued acceptance of funding and official support from the Israeli Embassy. It is an offensive and unacceptable affiliation which we do not endorse.
Numerous human rights organisations conclude Israel’s systemic policies, practices, and human rights violations meet the legal definition of apartheid. In just over the last month alone Israel announced the ethnic cleansing of over 1000 more Palestinians, greenlit plans to build almost 4500 more homes in illegal Israeli settlements, and murdered Palestinian Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in cold blood before attacking pallbearers and mourners at her funeral. By affiliating with Israel DocEdge are legitimizing an abhorrent and racist apartheid regime which attacks and persecutes the very storytellers they claim to support. It is a blatant contrast to the spirit of a festival.
DocEdge have stated they’re “apolitical” and aim to “facilitate dialogue,” but they’ve actively chosen to accept funding from the apartheid Israeli government and avoided engaging those who’ve expressed concern over the funding since as early as 2018. Unflinching affiliation with an apartheid government discredits any notion of being apolitical. This is not an issue of ‘censorship’ or ‘pressure groups’, it is an issue of Israel using culture and art as a form of propaganda, curating an image of sophistication and philanthropy to whitewash its abhorrent crimes and justify apartheid.
Our concern is not fearing Israeli influence in the festival selection, rather, the credibility and legitimisation that Israel gains from DocEdge’s endorsement and platform. Our call isn’t to take ‘sides’ or censor films, it is to recognise human rights and to keep our cultural spaces free from the harm and normalisation of racism and colonisation.
Inspired by the international movement that contributed to ending apartheid in South Africa, it is critical to mobilise non-violent pressure on Israel to end its apartheid, persecution, and illegal occupation against Palestinians, making the ‘status quo’ inconvenient enough for Israel to care, and change.
It is in firm solidarity with the Palestinian people and the global recognition of human rights that we request DocEdge end their affiliation with the apartheid Israeli Embassy and divest from a relationship that endorses and legitimizes the systemic and racist persecution of Palestinians.
In solidarity,
Cole Yeoman – ‘The Milford Road’ – Director/Producer
Gabriel Shipton – ‘Ithaka’ – Producer & brother of Julian Assange
Haidy Kancler – ‘Melting Dreams’ – Director/ Writer
Neasa Ní Chainaín – ‘Young Plato’ – Director
David Rane – ‘Young Plato’ – Producer
Rich Felgate – ‘Finite: The Climate of Change’ – Director/ Producer
Julia Maria Diana Jansch – ‘Coming Home’ – Director/ Producer
Olha Zhurba – ‘Outside’ – Director
Kaia Kahurangi Jamieson – ‘Scope’ – Director/ Producer
The Festival has accepted financial sponsorship from the Israel Embassy and in turn Doc Edge has put the logo of this racist, apartheid state alongside other countries which are not racist.
Doc Edge is helping Israel to “normalise” its racism and brutality against Palestinians.
The Doc Edge Film Festival organisers, Patron (Former Prime Minister Helen Clark) and Board have refused to engage in discussion or even respond to communications from PSNA.
The organisers claim the festival is “apolitical” but this is untrue. Doc Edge expressed strong solidarity with Ukrainians living under Russian military invasion and occupation but have refused solidarity with Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation.
Doc Edge is effectively running a protection racket for Israeli racism and brutality.
I was taught that Jordan, the nation, was part of Palestine….and Jordan has a huge number of Palestinians…but, after the PLO tried to take over the nation via a coup in the 1970s, Jordan has taken a very hard line against the Palestine question…
Once again, I bet “brutal racist apartheid” Israel is quaking in its boots! Utterly deranged.
Agreed Gaby, you are utterly deranged!
I’m not the one endlessly repeating the same tired old epithets. Don’t separate my meaning from the preceding sentence. Doesn’t work. All Israel bashers (antisemites) are totally irrational (not to mention inarticulate). That’s what the virus does to you.
……AAA
I can sense an incoming Gaby propaganda rant as i write this
Hey Anne
no alleged no responded to, as you well know
Fact. IDF assassinated Al Jazerra journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. As witnessed by multiple other jouralists.
Fact. Israeli police attacked the pall bearers carrying her coffin at her funeral. Watch
https://youtu.be/lm9wk9h0Wrw
No shame
My present position on Israel/Palestine. Force is all, like NZ. Except here in NZ, through that brutality, there are possibilities by reason for that minority. Despite the horror show of renewed war on Maori by Rogernomics.
All the ideals are on the side of the Palestinians, none on the side of Israelis.
I need to say this cos when I was growing up Israel was founded on ideals.
Soooo, islamist, jihadist, fascist terrorists like Hamas, and the PA, which has the infamous ‘pay-for-slay policy’. are idealists???? You need help even more than Minto!
The palestinians on the West Bank remind me of the French Resistance in Occupied France resisting a brutal Nazi occupation force.
The Palestinians under seige walled in, in Gaza remind me of Jews walled in, in the Warsaw Ghetto resisting brutal Nazi domination.
Comparing Israel to the Nazis is one of the tenets of the IHRA definition of antisemitism. The French Resistance only hit military targets and many Maquis were Jews. The Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto fought back against the Nazis and were all murdered in Treblinka. Gaza is a terrorist enclave run by proscribed terrorist group, Hamas.You people really need to upgrade your analogies.
The palestianians in Gaza ghetto fight back against the Israelis who walled them in. The Nazis considered the Jews in the Warsaw ghetto a proscribed terrorist organisation. If the hat fits…
Yet not even Assange’s brother cares rest the United Stated also funds them?
I wonder if he was even once in Israel and talked with real people there…
Anne with an E (She/her) Thank you for noticing that Egypt won’t have anything to do with the trouble-making Palestinians of Gaza, either. The walls are just as high on their side. Let’s leave the dupes to guess why, eh?
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