Letter from Arab Film Makers

 

To:
Mr. Mick Napier

Chair, Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign

 

We, the undersigned Arab cineastes, would like to thank you for exercising pressure on the Edinburgh Film Festival to cancel an official Israeli Embassy sponsorship of the festival's programme.  It is vital that the Israeli state gets the message that it cannot support, fund and execute the killing of hundreds of Lebanese and Palestinian civilians, and at the very same time claim to support film festivals that promote cinematic art and cinema as a means of dialogue between cultures.  It is also vital for cultural institutions around the world to understand that they can no longer remain silent and inactive in the face of the Israeli destruction of life and infrastructures, including cultural and artistic ones, in Lebanon and Palestine.

 

It is with this in mind that we write to you expressing our appreciation of your hard work in passing the message to the concerned institutions and individuals in your country.

 

5.      Ayham Orsan, Film Director, Syria

6.      Bashar Ibrahim, Film Critic, Syria

7.      Fajer Yacoub, Film Critic/Director, Syria

8.      Fares Al-Helou, Actor, Syria

15. Mansour Deeb, Film Critic, Syria

20. Nidal Hassan, Film Director, Syria

25. Sayed Al-Babili, Writer/Journalist, Egypt

26. Sewar Zerkli, Film Director, Syria

27. Talal Derki, Film Director, Syria