'Spineless' cowing to director's threat

Published on Wednesday 20 May 2009 20:53

I am disappointed, but not surprised, at the recent behaviour of respected filmmaker Ken Loach in advance of the Edinburgh International Film Festival (your report, 19 May).

His call for the public to boycott the festival on the grounds that the Israeli Embassy had donated a small sum of money (300) in order to support an Israeli film by film graduate Tali Shalom Ezer, which I believe to be non-political, was petty, unnecessary and potentially dangerous. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, this is not the correct arena to be airing his own personal views, particularly in such a bully-boy manner.

Even more disappointing, however, was the utterly spineless response from Festival officials who, having previously intimated that they would not bow to pressure from the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC), backed down upon the arrival of Mr Loach and returned the donation, presumably in fear of offending the sensibilities of a director with considerable influence. Their defence, that "one film-maker's recent statement speaks on behalf of the film community", defied belief.

Can we assume that the EIFF will be also returning donations from UK, US, Chinese, Russian and any other government deemed to have questionable domestic or foreign policies?

CHRISTOPHER McKIDDIE

St Vincent Crescent

Glasgow