(GushShalom] Palestinian-Israeli joint Journey censored by French Ministry

Fri Mar 12 22:14:54 IST 2004

GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - www.gush-shalom.org/

International release, March 12 2004

[] Palestinian-Israeli film censored by French Ministry
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[] About withdrawal babbles & the ethics of large-scale killing
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[] Palestinian-Israeli film censored by French Ministry
    - you can add your protest -

[In the very end (after the French) you find the letter we just posted and 
which may inspire you.]

------- Forwarded message follows -------
From:           	"oz shelach" <oznik at oznik.com>
Date sent:      	Wed, 10 Mar 2004 16:11:07 +0100
Subject:   Palestinian-Israeli film censored by French Ministry of Culture

[French follows] 

Below is a press release from Momento Productions, and a letter to the 
French minister of culture, already signed by over three hundred
supporters. Those wishing to join this call, can send the letter directly to: 

Jean-Jacques Aillagonk, French minister of culture, through the ministry's
web site: <http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/comment-ministre.htm>

Pompidou Center the President M. Bruno Racine, through the center's web
site:
<http://www.cnac-
gp.fr/Pompidou/Contacts.nsf/RemarquesGenerales?OpenForm&se
ssionM=3.10.2&L=2>

Press release: 

Palestinian-Israeli film censored by French Ministry of Culture

In an unprecedented move, the organisers of FranceÂ¹s biggest 
documentary film festival, Le Festival du CinÃ©ma du RÃ©el (4 to 14 
March 2004), held annually at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, have 
cancelled one of the screenings of the film Route 181 Â Fragments of a 
Journey to Palestine-Israel, which is co-directed by the Palestinian Michel 
Khleifi and the Israeli Eyal Sivan. 

In a statement signed by the Ministry of Culture, the Pompidou Centre and 
the BibliothÃ¨que publique d'information (Bpi), the organisers justify their 
decision in the following manner:

"The film's broadcast on ARTE last November had already provoked 
intense emotion, particularly among those who are alarmed by the rise of 
anti-Semitic and anti-Jewish statements and acts in France, and who 
consider that the film's underlying hostility to the existence of Israel may 
be of a nature to encourage these acts.

Since announcing the presence of the film in this year's festival
programme, many letters from diverse sources have been received by the 
management of the Centre Pompidou and the Bpi, expressing their 
unhappiness that the film was going to be shown once more in a
publicly-owned space. 

In view of this unease, and in view also of the risks to public order, the 
Ministry of Culture and Communication, the Centre Pompidou and the Bpi 
have together decided to reduce the number of screenings of the film to 
one, instead of the two originally planned, and to warn the audience 
before the screening of the dangers of any unilateral point-of-view. In 
consideration of the state of French society today, this intervention is of 
the utmost importance to our understanding of the rights of citizenship 
(un enjeu citoyen tout Ã  fait essentiel).

Nonetheless, we wish to express our attachment to the organisers' freedom 
of choice in putting together cultural events but also to [the need] to act 
as an institution conscious of its responsibilities."

The film's two directors immediately responded to these suggestions with 
the following words: Â³We are utterly stupefied to hear of the proposed 
cancellation of the screening of our film on March 14thÅ  which we find 
scandalous. 

Your statement suggests that our film is of a nature to encourage Â³the 
rise of anti-Semitic and anti-Jewish statements and acts in FranceÂ². This 
defamatory accusation is the result of a campaign of pressure and 
intimidation on the Centre Pompidou and on the Bpi.

We are as concerned about anti-Jewish and racist acts in France as our 
anonymous detractors. But in the face of these phenomena, no one has a 
monopoly or right of exclusivity over concern or the love of justice and 
peace, as our films have shown over the past two decades.

This shameful decision, is based on such vague notions as the Â³intense 
emotionÂ² or the Â³uneaseÂ² of some, as well as Â³the risks to public 
orderÂ², is extremely serious. It indicates that the State's cultural 
apparatus is incapable of assuring the screening of a film or the running of 
a film festival. Quite apart from the fact that your act will only reinforce the 
odious fantasies of some, it also takes us a step nearer to the re-
establishment of censorship and is a clear encouragement to extremists. 
To yield to pressure and to sectarian demands as you have done will 
hardly pacify emotions and lead to a real debate of the issues posed by 
the film. 

This is why we urge you to retract your decision and to authorise the
festival's organisers to re-programme the screening on March 14th.

Michel KHLEIFI and Eyal SIVAN.

For further information, please telephone + 33 1 43 66 25 24 or email
momento.production at wanadoo.fr www.momento-production.com

AN OPEN LETTER (french version follows english)

A MINISTER OF CULTURE MUST PROTECT THE ARTWORK

For its 26th edition, the Festival du CinÃ©ma du RÃ©el, one of the most 
prestigious get-togethers of documentary film was to screen, outside the 
competition, the film Route 181, Fragments from a Journey in Palestine-
Israel, by Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers Michel Khleifi and Eyal Sivan. 
However, at the request of the Ministry of Culture, in charge of the 
Festival and the Centre Pompidou, the Festival has cancelled one of the 
two screenings. 

In a press release justifying its decision, the Ministry of Culture says
it took into account the "strong feeling, notably among all those who are 
alarmed by the rise of antisemitic or Judeophobic talk and acts in
France," and in order to prevent "risks of a threat to public order" that
may be aroused by the two screenings initially planned. 

We would like to share our deep concern at such a decision, which has the 
appearance of censorship without being called by its name. Without 
necessarily sharing the choices and points of view expressed in Route 181, 
Fragments from a Journey in Palestine-Israel, we deem it unacceptable to 
categorize this work as one which may arouse "antisemitic or Judeophobic 
talk and acts." As a work of art, Route 181 takes part in an intellectual 
debate, that anyone is free to criticize. We are shocked that the Ministry
of Culture assumes the right to define the terms of this debate by
prohibiting the distribution of this film.

 We are concerned by the precedent set by such a decision. By yielding 
today to a hypothetical "threat to public order," the Ministry of Culture 
takes the risk of abdicating tomorrow before any organized criticism 
against an intellectual and artistic endeavor. A Minister of Culture must 
protect the artwork, not ally himself with those who attack it. 

We ask therefore, of Jean-Jacque Aillagon, to reconsider his decision.

Jean-Luc Godard, filmmaker ; Russel Banks, writer ; Randa Chahal Sabbag, 
filmmaker ; Tzvetan Todorov, research director at CNRS; Frank Eskenazi, 
producer; Esther Benbassa, study director at the EPHE; Julie Bertucelli, 
filmmaker ; FranÃ§ois Maspero, writer ; Claire Simon, filmmaker ; Hubert 
Nyssen, writer and publisher, and more than 300 other signers, full list
available at www.momento-production.com

LETTRE OUVERT

UN MINISTRE DE LA CULTURE DOIT PROTEGER LES â€˜UVRES

Pour sa 26Ã¨me Ã©dition, le Festival du CinÃ©ma du RÃ©el, l'un des 
plus prestigieux rendez-vous du cinÃ©ma documentaire devait projeter, 
hors compÃ©tition, le film Route 181, fragments d'un voyage en Palestine-
IsraÃ«l des cinÃ©astes palestinien et israÃ©lien Michel Khleifi et Eyal 
Sivan. Or, Ã  la demande du MinistÃ¨re de la Culture, tutelle du Festival, et 
du Centre Pompidou, le Festival vient de supprimer l'une des deux 
projections. Dans un communiquÃ© justifiant sa dÃ©cision, le 
MinistÃ¨re de la Culture estime prendre en compte la " vive Ã©motion, 
notamment chez tous ceux qui s'alarment de la montÃ©e des propos et 
actes
antisÃ©mites ou judÃ©ophobes en France " et se prÃ©server ainsi " des 
risques de trouble Ã  l'ordre public " que pourraient engendrer les deux 
projections initialement prÃ©vues. 

Nous tenons Ã  faire part de notre trÃ¨s vive inquiÃ©tude face Ã  une
telle dÃ©cision qui s'apparente Ã  une censure qui ne dit pas son nom.
Sans forcÃ©ment partager les choix et les points de vue exprimÃ©s dans 
Route 181, fragments d'un voyage en Palestine-IsraÃ«l, il nous paraÃ®t 
inacceptable de catÃ©goriser cette Â¦uvre comme pouvant susciter " des 
propos et actes antisÃ©mites ou judÃ©ophobes ". En tant qu'Â¦uvre de 
l'esprit, Route 181 participe Ã  un dÃ©bat intellectuel, que chacun est libre 
de critiquer. Nous sommes choquÃ©s que le MinistÃ¨re de la Culture
s'arroge le droit de dÃ©finir lui-mÃªme les termes de ce dÃ©bat en
interdisant de fait la diffusion de ce film.

Nous sommes inquiets du prÃ©cÃ©dent que crÃ©e une telle dÃ©cision. 
En cÃ©dant aujourd'hui devant un hypothÃ©tique " trouble Ã  l'ordre 
public " le MinistÃ¨re de la Culture prend le risque d'abdiquer demain 
devant toute critique organisÃ©e contre un travail intellectuel et 
artistique. Un Ministre de la Culture se doit de protÃ©ger les Â¦uvres et 
non de se ranger du cÃ´tÃ© de leurs dÃ©tracteurs.

Nous demandons donc Ã  Jean-Jacques Aillagon de revenir sur sa 
dÃ©cision.

Jean-Luc Godard, cinÃ©aste ; Russel Banks, Ã©crivain ; Randa Chahal 
Sabbag, cinÃ©aste ; Tzvetan Todorov, directeur de recherches au CNRS; 
Frank Eskenazi, producteur; Esther Benbassa, directrice d'Ã©tudes Ã 
l'EPHE; Julie Bertucelli, cinÃ©aste ; FranÃ§ois Maspero, Ã©crivain ; 
Claire Simon, cinÃ©aste; Hubert Nyssen, Ã©crivain et Ã©diteur. Plus de 
300
personnes du monde de la culture se sont associÃ©es Ã  cette lettre 
ouverte, la liste est consultable sur 
www.momento-production.com

[Gush Shalom's  letter]

As Israelis devoting their lives to the decades-long struggle for peace and 
justice, we decided to write to you.

We were informed of your decision to forbid a second screening, on  
March 14th,  of the film "Fragments of a Journey to Palestine-Israel" - the 
film made by our friend the film maker Eyal Sivan together with Palestinian 
film maker Michel Khleifi.

We are afraid that your decision is not a wise one. By the very fact of this 
film being the co-production of an Israeli-Palestinian duo it clarifies that 
Israelis (Jews) and Palestinians (Arabs) are not "by nature" each other's 
enemies. As such the film makers' Journey is par excellence a journey 
against stereotypes.

Was it really your intention to discourage those in this tormented region 
who work for a future of peace? Was it really your intention to prevent 
French people from being confronted with a vision which blurs the divide?

I hope you will reconsider

[] About withdrawal babbles & the ethics of large-scale killing

[Translation of ad in today's Ha'aretz;
Hebrew version soon at the site //òáøéú á÷øåá áàúø 
www.gush-shalom.org]

TALKING AND KILLING

Sharon talks about leaving the Gaza Strip - perhaps all of it, and perhaps 
not. Not before next year, and perhaps not at all.

They talk about it endlessly: politicians, generals, pundits, reporters, right-
wingers, left-wingers.

This has struck everything else from the agenda: the Road Map, the 
monstrous wall that is being built in the Palestinian territories, the Geneva 
Understandings, the Greek island corruption affair, the Kern corruption 
affair, the Tannenbaum affair.

And in the meantime, inhabitants of the Gaza Strip are being killed daily 
and wholesale: armed fighters as well as children, women and old people.

By the "most moral army in the world", acting according to an "ethical 
code" invented by professors. 

Gush Shalom

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