An open letter from a group called Palestinian film workers had collected over 4,000 signatures as of Wednesday. Hollywood stars and filmmakers have pledged to not cooperate with Israeli film institutions involved in genocide and apartheid against Palestinians.
“As filmmakers, actors, film industry workers and institutions, we recognize the power of film to shape perception,” the pledge, released online earlier this week. “In this moment of emergency, crisis where many of our governments are making the Gaza massacre possible, we must do everything we can to deal with that unrelenting and horrifying accomplice.”
The list of signers includes filmmakers Jonathan Glazer, Ava Duvernay, Yorgos Lantimos, Asif Kapadia, Boots Riley and Joshua Oppenheimer, winners of Oscar, Bafta, Emmy and Palm Dor. Actors Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Nicola Coffran, Andrew Garfield, Harris Dickinson, Bowen Yang, Guy Pierce, Ebon Moss Bachach, Fisher Stevens, Abby Jacobson, Eric Andre, Elliot Page, Olivia Colman, Mark Ruffalo, Mark Ruffalo, Liz Ahmed, Josh O’Connor, Cynthia Nixon and more.
Those who sign the letter refuse to work with Israeli festivals, cinemas, broadcasters and production companies that have participated in “whitening or justifying genocide and apartheid and/or partnering with the government.”
On the FAQ page, Palestinian film workers note that the pledge does not prohibit film experts from working with Israeli individuals. “This denial aims to be institutional accomplice rather than identity,” the group said.
The letter stated a ruling by the International Court of Justice in January last year that there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza. The ICJ also ruled in July last year that “the continued existence of Israel in occupied Palestinian territory is illegal,” and that Israeli law and measures “constitute systemic discrimination based on “racial, race, religion or ethnic origin” in violation of international human rights law.”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry rejects the ICJ’s opinion, calling it “fundamentally wrong” and “blatantly one sided.”
The letter is the latest action to highlight clear changes in public opinion across the US and Europe regarding Israeli military operations in Gaza. Since Hamas’ attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza, the condemnation of Israeli tactics has grown as Gaza civilians face widespread fire and starvation.
However, in Hollywood, many people who expressed concern about Palestinian human rights often encountered anti-Semitism accusations.
In November 2023, the United Talent Agency confirmed that it had dropped Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon after speaking at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York. That same month, Spyglass Media Group said it had dropped actor Melissa Barrera from the “Scream” horror series after numerous Instagram posts that denounced Israel in powerful language.
Mahadakir, an agent at the creative artist agency, also elicited criticism after posting a message on social media that accused Israel of “genocide.” She then deleted the post and apologized, then resigned from her board sheet, Variety reported.
One of the people who signed film workers for the Palestinian letter, British filmmaker Jonathan Glaser received backlash in 2024 after denounced bloodshed in the Middle East in Oscar’s acceptance speech.
The Jewish director of “zone of interest” said on stage:
More than 1,000 Jewish creatives and experts in Hollywood subsequently denounced the speech, and said diversity at the time stated that the use of words like “profession” dates back thousands of years to describe the use of words to describe Indigenous Jews who defend their people as nations, and are recognized as states by the state.
Rachel Griffin Kuerso, a popular children’s content creator known to millions of viewers this year as Rachel, has gained widespread support online after gaining backlash for defending the rights of Palestinian children. In April, pro-Israel advocacy groups suspended statistics called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate whether it was “funded by foreign parties to promote anti-Israel propaganda.”
“Nothing should be controversial,” he said in an interview with journalist Medi Hasan, founder of the independent publication Zeteo. She has not directly addressed the group’s request for investigation, but she rejected the claim that she is anti-Semitic because she defends the lives of children in Gaza. As an educator, her empathy extends to every child in the world, she said.
In a letter, Palestinian film workers said the pledge was inspired by a united filmmaker against apartheid, who refused to distribute films in apartheid South Africa 40 years ago. The signatories then included notable figures such as Steven Spielberg, Spikeley and Martin Scorsese.
“We respond to the calls of Palestinian filmmakers who urged the international film industry to refuse silence, racism and dehumanization,” he said, “to “do everything humanly possible” to end the accomplices with oppression.”
