More than a month after the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas, tempers continue to heat up on this subject, here as elsewhere. The cultural sector is no exception. Institutions and artists are under pressure from all sides to take a stand, and those who do face harsh reprisals.
Last week, the Cinéma du Parc was in turmoil. The Montreal organization canceled an evening screening of documentaries by Jocelyne Saab, a Lebanese director, which focused in particular on Palestine. Proceeds from the event, scheduled for November 6 and canceled the same evening, were going to be donated to charities helping Gazans.
The evening was part of a program entitled From the river to the sea. Organized by a coalition of Montreal organizations, it includes four other screenings of films on Palestine, at La Lumière Collective, at the Sala Rossa and at the Public Cinema.
The Cinéma du Parc made its decision after a petition calling for the cancellation of the event was launched by a person claiming to be from the “Jewish community of Montreal”. “These presentations have been criticized for their content which can be interpreted as anti-Semitic and based on hatred of Jews,” says the document, which has collected more than 1,500 signatures. The title From the river to the sea caused a reaction (see box).
Roxanne Sayegh, the general director of the Corporation du Cinéma du Parc, which also manages the Beaubien and Museum cinemas, told the media that the screening had been canceled due to “discomfort caused by the political content of the event and the current context. However, the cancellation of the screening aroused the ire of moviegoers, who believe that the films had nothing anti-Semitic.
Nearly 200 protesters gathered at the Parc cinema to denounce what they called “censorship”, just hours after the event was canceled. Since then, a counter-petition, launched by the organization Independent Jewish Voices in support of the screening cycle, has collected more than 6,600 signatures.
Faced with the scale of the protests, Mme Sayegh has started discussions with the organizers of the series From the river to the sea. “The idea is to re-establish a dialogue with them and the public,” she explains in an interview with Duty. Our exchanges will allow us to get something positive out of it over time. […] We have not yet issued a public statement, but we will do so at the appropriate time. »
Delicate positions
This controversy illustrates the extent to which the artistic community must make delicate decisions in the context of conflict in the Middle East. “The situation is so tense that any action is considered as commitment, as speaking out,” maintains Aude Renaud-Lorrain, director of the Public Cinema.
Its independent cinema in Villeray has decided to maintain its screenings organized as part of the program created in support of Gaza. “We met with the organizers several times to ensure that there was nothing in their message or in the films that would incite hatred,” says M.me Renaud-Lorrain. More than ever, we need to send a message of unity. »
The event at the Parc cinema is not the only one to have been canceled. On Friday, a collective organizing dance evenings “to the sound of Arab and North African rhythms” canceled its participation in the Montreal International Documentary Meetings “in a spirit of solidarity” with the Palestinian community.
In October, television channel MTV Europe canceled the Europe Music Awards, saying it wanted to “address the dramatic events unfolding in Israel and Gaza.” Several other events, both in Quebec and internationally, suffered the same fate.
The artists speak
At the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, a Palestinian artist was unsuccessfully asked to remove “sensitive” words like “Palestine” and ” exile », texts which accompanied his works in an exhibition on mourning. It was temporarily closed and was the subject of numerous demonstrations, before reopening at the beginning of the month. Works have also been removed from major museums around the world, from Istanbul to Washington.
Farah Atoui, postdoctoral researcher in communications at Concordia University and member of the Regards Palestinianes collective, which co-organized the cycle From the river to the sea, maintains that in the context of conflict, art can on the contrary “make others aware of the horrors of war”. “We organize cultural events to create spaces for dialogue where the public can interact with the works and form their own ideas. »
Public figures are also speaking out more and more. Internationally, thousands have signed open letters demanding a ceasefire, including Annie Ernaux, Justine Triet and Tilda Swinton. In Quebec, a letter signed by 446 artists, cultural workers and intellectuals, including Martine Delvaux, Kevin Lambert and Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette, was published at the beginning of November. Others, such as Patrick Bruel and Gad Elmaleh, expressed support for Israel after the October 7 attack.
When she considers this diversity of speeches, Aude Renaud-Lorrain notes that the positioning of artists in relation to the conflict turns out to be much more complex than at the start of the war in Ukraine. “The Jewish and Palestinian communities are well anchored here, and as many Israeli artists as Palestinians can correspond to our values of social justice. We cannot talk about a boycott like with certain Russian artists. […] It is essential to remain nuanced. »