Nadine Osman
More than 1,300 filmmakers, including Oscar nominees and winners, have pledged to boycott Israeli film institutions over what they call ongoing human rights abuses in Gaza. This unified stance is a refusal to engage with bodies they view as facilitating these abuses.
Released on September 8, the statement condemns the “unrelenting horror” in Gaza. Signatories include Olivia Colman, Ayo Edebiri, Mark Ruffalo, Riz Ahmed, Tilda Swinton, and Javier Bardem. Israeli attacks there have killed more than 64,000 Palestinians and devastated much of the territory.
The statement draws inspiration from past boycott movements. Signatories pledge to boycott Israeli film institutions they view as complicit in actions against Palestinians. They define the boycott as a non-violent act to oppose genocide and apartheid.
The pledge outlined examples of complicity, such as whitewashing abuses or partnering with the Israeli government. It also cited International Court of Justice rulings. The court has found Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land illegal and concluded that charges of genocide are “plausible.”
For nearly two years, leading academics, rights organisations, and UN experts have accused Israel of committing genocide—one of the gravest international crimes.
Palestinian rights advocates have long urged artists to use their influence. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Mike Lerner, a signatory, described the pledge as a “non-violent tool” to challenge Israel’s impunity. “It is the responsibility of every independently minded artist to use whatever powers of expression they possess to support the global resistance to overcome this horror,” Lerner said.
Hollywood has long been sympathetic to Israel. Yet recently, more actors and directors have begun criticising Israeli policies—often at a personal cost. In 2023, actor Susan Sarandon was dropped by her talent agency after attending a Palestine solidarity rally.
Melissa Barrera, another signatory, lost her role in the Scream horror franchise over social media posts critical of Israel. Despite such risks, voices sympathetic to Palestinians are becoming increasingly prominent. Earlier this year, No Other Land—an Israeli-Palestinian co-production about the destruction of a West Bank community—won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.
At the recent Venice Film Festival, The Voice of Hind Rajab received a 23-minute standing ovation. The film tells the story of a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza.
This pledge comes as Israel continues its campaign in Gaza, having already levelled much of the besieged enclave.
“As filmmakers, actors, film industry workers, and institutions, we recognise the power of cinema to shape perceptions,” the statement concluded. “In this urgent moment of crisis, where many of our governments are enabling the carnage in Gaza, we must do everything we can to address complicity.”
Feature photo: Tilda Swinton, Riz Ahmed, Olivia Colman, Mark Ruffalo, Ayo Edebiri, and Javier Bardem are among 1,300 filmmakers boycotting Israeli film institutions over alleged human rights abuses in Gaza. (Credit: Wikimedia)
