generalspeaking

The Infernal Blacklist

The Toronto International Film Festival, already enjoying great fame as an international venue of high repute, now has the distinction of being watched by many eyes not normally given to attending international film festivals. They are now also the beneficiaries of yet another type of publicity, and as the old adage has it, any kind of publicity is a good thing, bringing attention to the individual or institution as the case may be, involved in controversy.

One might think that culture, entertainment, education, are means by which people can become more knowledgeable about others, sharing experiences, throwing the light of knowledge gained on matters little previously understood. Alternately, it is entirely legitimate to ask whether it is reasonable to bring the controversy of incendiary ideologies and politics to the ambiance of culture, entertainment and education.

The aggrieved parties, critical of the administrators of the Toronto International Film Festival, have taken umbrage at the special status they see given to the 100th anniversary of a world-class city, one whose liberal tendencies and stable civility has earned it the acclaim and congratulations on its centenary of TIFF, through inaugurating its annual City to City program by showing ten Israeli films.

Yet the criticism of those whose lack of affection for Israel and yes, Jews in general, is "why were no Palestinian filmmakers included?", according to filmmaker John Greyson. Why, does Mr. Greyson not understand that the city being recognized is an Israeli one, and as such Israeli films are logically being highlighted? Films that are relatively unremarkable in their pedestrian nature, highlighting the humanity in us all.

Why, they insist, did TIFF spotlight this city in light of the Gaza 'massacre'? What predated the Gaza 'massacre' was an attempted, ongoing massacre of Israelis, with Gazans lobbing rockets into Israel; irritating little details like that. Polite requests to Hamas and Fatah simply went unheeded, for some peculiar reason. The State of Israel grumpily decided it had no option left other than to protect its citizens.

In a mirror-image of opposite opinion, celebrities such as Natalie Portman, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jerry Seinfeld and Lenny Kravitz, recommend against another tedious blacklist against Israel. In their opinion, "The visiting filmmakers represent a dynamic national cinema, the best of Israel's open, uncensored, artistic expression."

Robert Lantos and his supporters, such as the estimable John Voight, et al, subscribe to the opinion that "Blacklisting them only stifles the exchange of cultural knowledge that artists should be the first to defend and protect." Amen.

Labels: Canada, Conflict, Israel, Particularities/Peculiarities

posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, September 15, 2009