Israeli film comparing Holocaust to occupation loses state funds

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"The Israel Film Fund has ended its financial support for director Yonatan Segal's new piece Odem, after learning that it compares Israel's occupation of the West Bank to the Holocaust.

Segal is best known as the star of the 1978 Israeli film Lemon Popsicle (Eskimo Lemon).

In an article published last Friday in Yedioth Ahronot, Israeli journalist Yair Lapid cited a passage from the marketing brochure for Odem, in which Segal wrote:

"It took a lot to convince the Israel Film Fund that the occupation is worse than Israel has ever admitted too and that it is possible to compare the occupation to the Holocaust."

Lapid took issue to this comment, and criticized the fact that such a film was receiving financial support from a government body.

In the wake of Lapid's article, the executive director of the Israel Film Fund announced that support for the film has been cut off."

more

[Kurska]

1. Yeah I really don't see the problem.

It isn't like they are shutting the film down, just not giving it state funding, honestly it speaks to freedom of speech in Israeli society relative to the rest of the middle east (not perfect we all know that but still, something saying the equivalent about Iran would never be tolerated by their government.)

[damntexdem]

3. The government just won't fund anything telling the truth.

The truth could make it vulnerable.

[Kurska]

6. Your outlook=the truth, My outlook=Not truthy enough.

Gotcha buddy.

How can comparison or a analogy be "The truth" anyways? Are you saying that the west bank is literally the german holocaust of jews, if so you're off by a couple hundred miles and a good deal of time

[azurnoir]

8. If you read the article

the problem is that they had already approved the film and then pulled funding due to an editorial about the film, they could have chosen not to fund it in the first place

[Kurska]

11. Seem likes the editorial brought to light content of the film the government wasn't aware of.

Either way, you can hardly expect the government to fund a film that stands directly in contradiction of what that government believes in.

[azurnoir]

12. They OK'd the script

could be that the government changed afterwards

[Christa]

2. Pity, I hope someone steps up and donate to them

The truth hurts.

[Kurska]

7. Feel free to step up buddy.

Your money, your speech.

[Christa]

14. May I then assume

that you do not think Israel's occupation of the West Bank equates the Holocaust?

[Violet_Crumble]

15. You can very safely assume I don't think that it does n/t

I know you weren't asking me, but if yr interested in knowing, there it is...

btw, I posted an article where the director of the film said they weren't comparing the Occupation to the Holocaust. Until anyone here sees the film, I'd rather take the word of the director for it...

[azurnoir]

4. about the Israel Film Fund

The Israel Film Fund was established in 1979 as a non-profit Foundation supported by public funding.

Recognizing the need to support the production and enhance the quality of Israeli Feature Films, the Fund’s aim is to enable the best stories and scripts to be realized and create the opportunities for the Israeli Filmmakers, to bring their vision and creativity to the screen.

The Fund is proud to have supported more than 300 full length Feature Films. The Fund celebrates over 29 years of talent, creativity and imagination in the universal art of Filmmaking, as reflected in many of the Israeli Films it supported and which have become milestones of the Israeli cultural heritage.

With an annual budget of 6 million Dollars, the main goal of the Fund is to facilitate the production of full length Israeli Feature Films produced by Israeli Production Companies, and to support their marketing and distribution in Israel and Worldwide.

These goals are achieved by investing in the development of scripts, investing in the production of the films, in promoting co productions and by assisting in the distribution of the Films the Fund has supported.

Every year, about 140 new scripts are being submitted, out of which 12-15 Films are selected and granted the support of the Fund.

The Fund supports the development of about 30 scripts a year.

The selection of the Films is based on the recommendations of the Fund’s directors, the professional consultants it employs and on the approval of the Board of Directors.

The average budget of an Israeli Feature Film is between $500,000 to $1,000,000.

The Fund can invest up to 2/3 (two thirds) of the approved budget.

The Israel Film Fund aims to increase the audience for Israeli Films in Israel and worldwide and raise public awareness to the cultural, social and economic contribution of a busy and vibrant Filmmaking industry in Israel.

http://www.filmfund.org.il/page.aspx?section=675

[Jim Sagle]

5. Maybe David Duke can fund it.

:puke:

[azurnoir]

9. just as astute as usual

but your smiley is quite fitting:sarcasm:
as I said earlier the problem isn't the film it is how and why the funding was pulled

[Jim Sagle]

10. Your opinion and mine are 180 degrees apart.

[Violet_Crumble]

13. Israeli director: My film doesn't compare occupation to Holocaust

There are people here who feel they are carrying national pride and the memory of the Holocaust on their backs," director and screenwriter Jonathan Segal told Haaretz Tuesday, in his first reaction to recent articles charging that his movie "Odem" compares the Israeli occupation to the Holocaust.

"But everyone here has his own Holocaust. I am the son of survivors and a proud Israeli. This doesn't mean I cannot say things that are unacceptable to someone else," he said. "What is beautiful about our country is that we can say different things and express different opinions."

Nonetheless, Segal wants to make clear that "many people are familiar with this movie, and it makes no comparison between the occupation and the Jewish Holocaust."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1145459.html