Film directors Ken Loach and Mike Leigh have reportedly resigned as patrons of an independent cinema after it hosted an Israeli-state sponsored film festival.
The two have both long supported The Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley as patrons.
But they have now cut ties with the Phoenix Cinema Trust after it went ahead with a private showing of Supernova: The Music Festival Massacre yesterday (May 23), a movie part of the Seret film festival.
The documentary told the story of the young victims and survivors at the Nova festival in Re’im during the October 7 Hamas attack.
And despite calls from campaign group Artists for Palestine UK to boycott the festival, the trust decided to go ahead with the screening.
Artists for Palestine UK claimed the festival was part of Israel’s “broader artwashing strategy” to cover up “crimes against the Palestinian people”.
According to a report from The Guardian, both Loach and Leigh stood down as patrons due to the trust not taking action.
The directors were among more than 40 creatives who called for a boycott of Seret back in 2015, as they claimed cinemas benefiting money from the Israeli state were “silent accomplice to the violence inflicted on the Palestinian people”.
A pro-Palestinian protest was planned yesterday outside the venue to coincide with the film, but hours before this the front doors of the cinema were daubed with red graffiti reading: “Say no to art washing”.
East Finchley’s beloved @Phoenixcinema has been desecrated with graffiti simply because they are showing a film about a massacre of innocent Jews at a music festival. Shame on the people that did this. pic.twitter.com/068niKEWT9
— Hannah 🇮🇱 BRING THEM HOME (@nice_cuppa) May 23, 2024
A counter-protest then took place as reportedly thousands of Israeli supporters gathered to gain attention away from the pro-Palestinians.
Footage showed many waving Israeli flags, chanting and holding placards to get their voices heard.
Came to support @Phoenixcinema against antisemites. Turns out a few other people had the same thought pic.twitter.com/JFUkJu6kHg
— Alex Deane (@ajcdeane) May 23, 2024
The Phoenix Cinema Trust said it should “not aim to censor or veto the content of screenings”.
It added: “We know that our supporters - like the general public - have passionate and strongly held views about events in Israel and Palestine.
“We appreciate that some do not agree with our decision. Despite this, we hope that people will remain committed to our shared vision of a vibrant, sustainable and independent cinema in East Finchley for our local community and for London.”
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