Together with ten others, Palestinian filmmaker Basma al-Sharif has withdrawn from the IDFA film festival. This happened after the organization stated, following a spontaneous protest on the opening night, that the controversial slogan ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free‘ was no longer to be used by anyone. On Sunday the organization qualified this statement, but Al-Sharif already left for home on that day.
AT5
Palestinian Basma al-Sharif is already back in her hometown of Berlin when she tells AT5 what happened. She would be a jury member at the festival and four of her short films would be shown.
Since the events of the Israel-Palestine conflict, Al-Sharif has been in shock. The decision to come to Amsterdam for the festival was difficult. “I already felt vulnerable. I have family in Gaza, my life has come to a complete standstill. It was my first time traveling since the war started there. I was looking forward to it, it seemed like a great festival.”
What exactly happened?
On the opening night of the International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA) on November 8, a sudden protest showed a banner with the slogan ‘from the river to the see, Palestine will be free’. This statement is seen by some as an anti-Semitic call against the Jewish population in Israel. For others, this is a cry against the Israeli occupation and oppression of the Palestinians. The demonstrators also called for a ceasefire.
Two days later, on Friday, November 10, apologized the organization of the festival. They stated that this is a hurtful slogan and believes that it should no longer be used in any way and by anyone. ‘We are strongly opposed to viewing history from one perspective, oversimplifying human tragedies or tarring people with the same brush. IDFA respects and cherishes human life. Every human life.”
Two days later, on Sunday, November 12, the organization wrote in an email message to the documentairegema shelf that they have received, read and discussed all responses to their initial statement. She calls for an immediate ceasefire and acknowledges that the slogan is used in different ways by different parties. ‘IDFA is an open platform and not a censor. IDFA remains an open and inclusive place to express yourself and to have difficult discussions seriously and respectfully through documentary films and art.’
Yesterday it was announced that eleven filmmakers withdrew from the festival because they felt that the activists were being silenced by the first statement. IDFA emphasizes that they have constantly evaluated their own statements since the events and deeply regret that the makers have withdrawn.
Al-Sharif arrived last Wednesday, just missing the opening night. When she heard what had happened there and that the organization wanted to apologize for this, she tried to stop this from artistic director Orwa Nyrabia. “I said that that would be dangerous in this time of war. You cannot, as a director, invite Palestinian people, people who are currently having a very difficult time, and then give such a statement. It is terrifying that a documentary festival at such a aggressive way to stifle one voice,” says Al-Sharif.
That’s why she couldn’t stay anymore, she says. Last Sunday she broke off her stay in Amsterdam halfway.
No party
Al-Sharif finds it sad that the festival is now going ahead, that prizes are still being awarded, parties and dinners are being held. “Maybe now is not the time. We are now in a crisis that is directly related to this war and that is now also unfolding at the festival.”
A spokesperson for IDFA emphasizes that there are still around three hundred other makers who have worked on their projects for a very long time and have put a lot of time and energy into them. “They would like to show that to the world, that is what IDFA also wants. The program will continue as planned, we have a responsibility to those makers to be able to show those films.”
They would also have liked to show Basma Al-Sharif’s films, so that she could share her vision of the world. “We deeply regret that she did not feel welcome at the festival. We would have preferred that she had stayed and that we could have had a dialogue with her.”
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2023-11-15 09:41:02
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