'Jenin, Jenin' director honored with Berlin free speech award
Criticism by government minister Limor Livnat sparks furor amongst group of Israeli and Palestinian directors.
By Nirit Anderman Tags: Israel news JeninCulture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat sparked irate reactions over the weekend after she sharply criticized a group of Israeli and Palestinian directors who supported giving the controversial director of the 2002 movie "Jenin, Jenin" a prize for free speech.
"The minister does not represent us," said Scandar Copti, who co-directed the Oscar-nominated film "Ajami" and presented the prize to Israeli Arab director Mohammed Bakri in Berlin on Friday.
"There are those who push toward hatred, but we want to unify," said Copti. "It is too bad that those who want to get the two peoples to meet and bring them closer are considered haters of Israel."
Israeli director Udi Aloni ("Forgiveness"), Canadian director John Greyson and the Yes Men satire group created the Platinum Bear for Free Speech prize to protest Israel's decision to join a lawsuit accusing Bakri of defamation.
Bakri is accused of distorting what happened during an Israel Defense Forces raid of Jenin in April 2002.
"In the face of this new attempt to silence, criminalize and bankrupt Mr. Bakri, and in protest against the ongoing brutality of the occupation, we have come together to spontaneously nominate Mohammad Bakri as our 2010 Filmmaker of Free Speech, and pay due respect to his art and to Palestinian filmmaking," the petition states.
Aloni said the prize was awarded in coordination with senior officials of the Berlin International Film Festival, but not as part of the festival, which ended Saturday.
In addition to Copti and Aloni, other signatories of the petition include directors Eran Kolirin, Hany Abu-Assad, Oren Moverman, Eyal Sivan and Yael Hersonski, and the actors Saleh Bakri, Juliano Merr-Khamis and Yousef Sweid.
Those directors are legitimizing "a propaganda film that contains nothing but hatred of Israel," said Livnat. "The court has already ruled that the film contains what can be deemed libel about IDF soldiers."
Copti, who earlier this month received Livnat's personal congratulations after "Ajami" was selected as one of the five nominees for the Oscar for best foreign-language film, stressed the importance of free speech for artists in Israel.
"This incident was a show of solidarity by filmmakers for their colleague," said Copt. "It is a prize for free speech. If they come and silence us, there is no reason to create art."
Aloni said he doesn't think Israeli cinema should exist to serve the country.
"A normal minister would have said that she appreciates the solidarity of Israeli and Palestinian artists," he said. "If the culture minister calls such an illustrious group of artists 'destroyers,' the entire culture industry must call for her dismissal."
Aloni said the directors showed the government that they would not be used to "clear their conscience, so that the world will see how enlightened and wonderful" Israel is.
Actor Yousef Sweid said the artists Livni was criticizing "represent our country with dignity."
"Free speech is based on criticizing the place where we live, in order to make it a better place," he said. "Her remarks border are contrary to the principles of democracy and border on racism."
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
Giving Bakri the award is an insult to the many people around the world who have truly been denied their right to free expression and are paying the price. Bakri produced his film without any obstacles, it was screened all over the world including Israel, it won prizes and he has never spent a day in jail. This is the greatest exemplar of free speech the organizers of this award could find? Once can only assume the award is political, i.e., another effort to demonize Israel by singling out as an enemy of free expression. It's too utterly transparent except to those who have an agenda to begin with (some of whom I see have posted comments). As to the film's "truth." Obviously truth is subject to interpretation on some level, but Bakri admits he juxtaposed footage to create facts that didn't exist (tanks running over children). He has the right to do it, although his artistic and intellectual honesty in portraying his work as a documentary is nil.
How can this be free speech?! No one suppressed his libelous film, in fact, it was screened in ISRAEL!!! There are many more people in the world who truly deserve to be honored by a Free Speech Award, this criminal, libelous hater of Israel and the Jews should get nothing but a court summons for defamation! There are many more candidates for this award in Chechnya, Tibet, Xinkiang, Basque land, Corsica, and others that are truly oppressed by their respective occupying power that refuse to allow even the mere discussion of their their peoples right to self determination! Why were they NOT nominated?
It's Israel that should be honered with the free speech award, not Bakri. He has abused the right of free speech.
"Pity Nirit did not mention Bakri showed lies of massacres". Arthur, did you see the movie? If so, in what theater? As you know, the movie was boycotted by many theaters, so I would be interested to know where you saw it.
Free speech has no limit. If the speech is untrue, the victim may sue the author for libel, but may not limit free speech, which is a fundamental of freedom.
... if you're making a factually inaccurate -- and highly political -- "documentary." It's absurd that a movie as intellectually bankrupt as "Jenin Jenin" would be honored. And the award was anything but "spontaneous." Since when does supporting the Palestinians necessitate celebrating half-truths and lies, masked in the guise of "free speech"? There is not an accusation that can be made against the Zionist enterprise now that does not also apply to the Palestinian national movement, its increasingly homogenous narrative, and the potent and well-financed media machine that promotes it on a global level... and that's truly sad. It should not be too much to ask that demands for justice for the Palestinians be done so without fudging of the facts.
"So lying is `free speech`?" And who determines what is a truth and what is a lie? History is full of "stories" that people claim is the truth, but the truth can only be established if you allow people to examine it from all angles. This is also true with claims of scientific discoveries! But if you prevent people from examining the story, or prevent reporters from reaching the scene, or criminlaize the questioning of "your" story, then chances are YOU've got something to hide! All historical events - amd I mean ALL - should be subjected to the most detailed examination to establish the truth. Now, are you open to this not so revolutionary idea?
If Bakri who claimed to have shown the true face of the Jenin actions and claimed to have made a documentary is representing free speech why not give Goebbels a reward too? Spreading lies with footage made in a manner which makes the viewers think IDF soldiers on purpose murdered Palestinian civilians is not an act of free speech but shows clearly classic modern Arab anti semitism (90% of Arabs view Jews negative and 'only' 35% of Israeli Arab (source Haaretz)). Israeli Jews in the movie industry should be more careful with what they support or at least try to see what the movie shows they support and then have a balanced opinion. Free speech is one thing but to blindly support any Arab critizing Israel is another. Jenin Jenin was a blood libel and we all know it, but at least in Israel we have a democracy with a High Court which makes sure even this trash can be shown including the distribution of Mein Kampf and Wagner music but why give it a free speech prize?
These are nobody directors who create their own propaganda and lies. Storytellers who base their stories on lying about others should pay the consequences. Hope he loses everything in lawsuit.
If I claim that Palestinians murdered 100000 australians and make a movie about this incident, we should all celebrate this and Austalia should accpet this becasue they have a right to make this movie under `free speech`
Deep in the mud