Israeli Filmmakers Slam Shomron Film Fund As “Whitewashing Occupation” – Deadline
More than 250 of Israel’s top filmmakers have signed an open letter, saying they will not seek funding from, nor cooperate with the recently–established Shomron (Samaria/West Bank) Film Fund, following the fund’s inaugural film festival in the occupied West Bank.
The filmmakers call on the Israeli Academy of Film and Television not to partake in “whitewashing the Occupation” ahead of the Ophir Awards — Israel’s Academy Awards — later this month. Read the full text of the letter below.
Among the signatories are multiple Academy Award winners and nominees. They have signed a public letter in which they state that they will not receive grants and will not participate in “lectura” (selection of films for development and production) or in professional events held by the Shomron (Samaria) Film Fund. The goal of the Shomron (Samaria) Film Fund, write the filmmakers, is “to invite Israeli filmmakers to actively participate in whitewashing the Occupation in exchange for financial support and prizes.”
Signatories include Oscar-nominated filmmakers Ari Folman (Waltz With Bashir), Guy Davidi (Five Broken Cameras), and Oren Moverman (The Messenger); Oscar-winner Sharon Maymon (Skin); Cannes alumni Nadav Lapid (Ahed’s Knee), Avi Mograbi (Avenge But One of My Two Eyes), Keren Yedaya (Or), and Amos Gitai (Kippur); Emmy-winner Rachel Leah Jones (Advocate); Israel Academy Award winners Eran Kolirin (Band’s Visit), Yaron Zilberman (Incitement), and Shira Arad (Avinu); Sundance Grand Jury winners Raanan Alexandrowicz and Liran Atzmor (The Law in These Parts); HBO creators Hagai Levi (Our Boys), Hilla Medalia, Mor Loushy, and Daniel Sivan (Oslo Diaries); veteran filmmakers and film educators Ram Loevy, Michal Aviad, Ran Tal, Barak and Tomer Heymann, and dozens of other established narrative and documentary cineastes.
The Shomron (Samaria) Film Fund was founded by controversial former Minister of Culture Miri Regev (pictured). The fund distributes grants to Jewish settlers who reside in the West Bank (“Judea and Samaria”) and to productions by Israeli citizens filmed in the West Bank. The 2.5 million Palestinian residents of this occupied territory are barred from applying to the fund. Yossi Dagan, the head of the Yesha Council, which is the umbrella organization of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, was among the founders of the fund and the CEO of the fund is also the spokesperson for the Shomron (Samaria) Regional Council.
The inaugural Shomron (Samaria) Film Festival took place in July this year. Israeli film distribution veteran Moshe Edery said from the stage at the festival that, “We will make every effort to bring the Israeli Academy Awards here one day, to Judea and Samaria.”
The full text of the letter with a complete list of signatories to date (translated from Hebrew), reads as follows:
“Israeli Cinema Will Not Be Instrumentalized to Whitewash the Occupation
“In July 2022, at the inaugural opening ceremony of the “Shomron (Samaria) Film Festival,” a call was made to bring the Israel Academy of Film and Television “Ophir Awards” to the occupied West Bank. The festival was supported and/or attended by Minister of Culture Chili Tropper, the heads of the Israel Film Council, the heads of the Rabinovich Film Fund, distributor Moshe Edery, and the Israel Screenwriters’ Guild.
“What stands behind this inaugural festival, as well as behind the recently-established “Shomron (Samaria) Film Fund,” is not a love of culture but a politic aimed at erasing the green line and the distinction between military and civilian regimes [i.e. normalizing the settlements]. It is, therefore, not surprising that this political foundation is headed by Esther Allouche, spokesperson of the Shomron (Samaria) Regional Council, and Yossi Dagan, chairperson of the Shomron (Samaria) Regional Council. Both the foundation and the festival invite Israeli filmmakers to take an active part in whitewashing the occupation in exchange for production financing and prizes.
[** Shomron is the Hebrew word for Samaria – which is the Biblical name of the land currently known in the world as the northern West Bank. Referring to these areas as “Judea and Samaria” is a nomenclature developed and used by Israel’s settlement enterprise and national religious movement.]
“The establishment of the Shomron Film Fund was accompanied by statements regarding the need for diversity in the Israeli arts and the imperative of giving expression to marginalized voices. While this is a worthy goal, the term “diversity” becomes devoid of meaning when in practice it obfuscates systematic violence and serious violations of human rights. The Shomron Fund is not a pluralistic fund — it is part and parcel of the mechanisms of apartheid [**open to one ethnic group (Jews) and closed to another (Palestinians) living in the same geopolitical area (the occupied West Bank).]
“Filmmakers bear responsibility for the image of the societies in which they live. In an ongoing reality of occupation, and a creeping process of annexation, we must draw a red line.
“We, the undersigned, hereby declare that we will not cooperate with the Shomron Fund — neither now nor in the future. Not in its workshops, not in its selection committees, not in our filmmaking. Nor will we agree to hold the “Ophir Awards” in an area subject to military occupation.
“We call upon the Israeli Academy of Film and Television, its leadership and members at large, not to turn Israeli cinema into yet another instrument in the oppression of the Palestinian people.”
The letter has been signed by the following industry professionals:
Abadi Grebler May
Aboulafia Roni
Abt Sinai
Adaf Oren
Adwan Adi
Alcalay Itamar
Aldema Aviv
Alexander Keren
Alexandrowicz Raanan
Alexis Joelle
Aloni Udi
Amit Avi
Arad Shira
Arav Dan
Arbel Adi
Ariel Gilad
Ascher Tova
Asher Yair
Assaf Roy
Assido Noa
Atia Yossi
Atzmor Liran
Aviad Michal
Avraham Yuval
Avrahami Idit
Avrahami Jonathan
Banitt Assaf
Bar Yossef Adi
Bar-on Uri
Beck Ayellet
Behrendt Zohar
Ben David Amir
Ben Dor Orna
Ben Ezer Ellyot
Ben Shachar Shelly
Ben Yaacov Hagit
Bengad Ayala
Berman-Herzberg Noa
Bezrukoff Sergio
Birger Ori
Biton Keren or
Braun Netalie
Broun Neta
Burstyn Igal
Cahlili Ron
Carmel Marco
Carmeli Pollak Shai
Chen Naftali
Cohen Roy
Cohen Yulie
Davidi Guy
Davidovitch Schicowitch Elad
de Mayo Shark
Djerassi Doron
Dudinski Natasha
Dvorkis Neta
Efrat Halil
EinGal Ofer
Elias Meni
Elkayam Tal
Elkayam Revital
Elon Danae
Elovitc Sharon
Elpeleg Danel
Even Anat
Fadlon Dor
Faingulernt Avner
Farber Shira
Feldman Ofir
Feller Nili
Folman Ari
Fux Niv
Gal-noor Shahar
Galezer Doron
Ganihar Alma
Geffen Shira
Gitai Amos
Glikzelig Idan
Goldenberg Taly
Goldman Omer
Goren Shaked
Granit Tal
Green Shira
Gurfinkel Yoav
Hadad Barak Eran
Hager Dalia
Halfin Adi
Harel Yasmin
Hasfari Aryeh
Hasfari Shmuel
Hecker Reuven
Heffner Maya
Heiman Michal
Heller Ayelet
Hemi Artsy Kfir
Hersonski Yael
Herzberg Yoel
Heymann Barak
Heymann Tomer
Hochman Shira
Hochner Yair
Housari Emad
Hubel Idan
Inbar Talia
inov Ofer
Izhaki Shepon Hila
Jabareen Tamam
Kainer Karin
Kainy Jasmine
Kaminer Michael
Kaminski Hanan
Karilla Ido
Karshen Ziv
Kassem Ashraf
Katzenelson Ron
Kayam Yaelle
Kenan Shlomtzion
Khalaily Jamal
Kipper Yael
Klar Maya
Klimowski Roni
Knispel Yotam
Kolirin Eran
Koplewitch Meshy
Kra Amit
Kutner Adi
Lapid Nadav
Laufer Erez
Laufer Miri
Lavie Yael
lazarov yehezkel
Leah Jones Rachel
Leibovitch Ophir
Leshem Yoav
Levari Naomi
Levy Hagai
Levy Ori
Levy Ricardo
Lilti Eliav
Liron Amir
Livnay Yaron
Loevy Netta
Loevy Ram
Loushy Mor
Madar Tom
Mann Daniel
Manoshevitz Meirav
Marom Itay
Mayer Bar
Maymon Sharon
Medalia Hilla
Meisler Gili
Melamed Shauly
Merom Alon
Michael Tal
Michalevicz Shirli
Miller Daniel
Milstein Ohad
Modan Dana
Mograbi Avi
Mor Eldar
Morag Hadar
Moskovitch Ilan
Motolla Yaron
Moverman Oren
Nechemya Elinor
Nehari Ram
Netanel Kobi
Nevo Fridental Shiri
Nir Udi
Noy Menashe
Oren Hadara
Ozer Iris
Peled Omri
Peretz Assaf
Peter Sinai
Polonsky Asaph
Postel Karni
Ranon Michal
Raul Graizer Ofir
Raz Renana
Raziel Itai
Riklis Dina
Rimer Gadi
Ron Michal
Rozanov Michael (Mysh)
Sade Itamar
Sahar Alon
Salmona Mushon
Samara Salma
Scheflan Adam
Schory Noemi
Schwartz Alon
Schwartz Anat
Schweitzer Ariel
Segal Rona
Sevilla Amir
Shachar Zohar
Shadur Dan
Shafir Biran Yoav
Shahaf Avner
Shaham Guy
Shalom Ezer Tali
Shamir Yoav
Shavit Naama
Shayo Keren
Shefi Tal
Shehadah Salim
Sheizaf Noam
Shem Tov Aharon
Shihor Gabi
Shimko Dalia
Shlam Shosh
Shles Julie
Shoshani Neta
Shtayim Roy
Sinai Or
Sivan Daniel
Szylman Nataly
szylman liora
Tal Ran
Tavori Doron
Tenenbaum Daniel
Terkel Amir
Trainin Ofir
Tsabari Doron
Tsicko Eti
Ushpiz Ada
Verses Mani
Wachsmann David
Wachsmann Dani
Wagner Zohar
Wagner Schmidt Hannah
Wald Dagan
Weingrod Adam
Weits Michal
Wiesltier Etty
Wind Raz Alona
Yaish Sharon
Yarom Tamar
Yaron Tamar
Yavin Maya
Yedaya Keren
Yogev Saar
Yoram Ron
Yudinsky Lily
Zaki Iris
Zalmona Omri
Zarif David
Zeibak Hadad Abeer
Zeltser Anat
Ziegler Itamar
Zilberman Yaron
Zlayet Amnon
Zuarets Itsik
Zur Eitan
Zvieli Meital
