1,800 artists boycott decision: No collaboration with Israeli institutions

The cinema world decided to boycott the film in support of Palestine.

More than 1,800 filmmakers , actors and artists , including Oscar winners and world-renowned names such as Olivia Colman, Javier Bardem, Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton and Ken Loach, announced that they would not cooperate with Israeli cultural institutions, following a call from Palestinian artists.

In a statement, the artists announced that they would not collaborate with film festivals, production companies, or broadcasting organizations affiliated with the Israeli government. The signatories stated that these institutions are "complicit in genocide" due to the attacks on Gaza, emphasizing that their stance is directed at institutions, not individuals.

According to Evrensel, the declaration, titled "A Pledge Against Complicity," is inspired by the "Filmmakers United Against Apartheid" initiative launched against the apartheid regime in South Africa in 1987. At the time, more than 100 prominent filmmakers refused to have their films shown in South Africa.

The scope of the boycott is wide

In a statement released by the organization Film Workers for Palestine, it was stated, “At this critical time when our governments are enabling the destruction in Gaza, we must do everything we can.”

Signatories include Yorgos Lanthimos, Ava DuVernay, Asif Kapadia, Boots Riley, Joshua Oppenheimer, Olivia Colman, Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, Ayo Edebiri, Riz Ahmed, Josh O'Connor, Cynthia Nixon and Julie Christie.

The artists announced that they would not collaborate with festivals partnered with the Israeli government, such as the Jerusalem Film Festival, the Haifa International Film Festival, Docaviv, and TLVFest, as well as with Israeli movie theaters, production companies, and broadcasters. It was emphasized that the boycott was not aimed at individual artists, but merely aimed at rejecting institutional collaborations.

REACTIONS AND PAST INITIATIVES

The Israel Producers Association reacted to the boycott, saying, “For decades, Israeli artists have been the primary voices bringing the complexity of the conflict and Palestinian narratives to audiences.”

The boycott follows a backlash from Hollywood and Europe. Last summer, figures including Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Ralph Fiennes, and director Guillermo del Toro signed an open letter condemning the film industry's silence on the situation in Gaza. The Norwegian Actors Union also advised its members not to work with certain Israeli cultural institutions.