Director Loach: I'm no racist for Film Festival boycott

Published on Wednesday 20 May 2009 22:04

FILM director Ken Loach last night defended himself against a claim that he was "racist" after he called on movie fans to "stay away" from the Edinburgh International Film Festival for political reasons.

The filmmaker had urged the boycott after learning that EIFF had accepted 300 from the Israeli Embassy. Loach, well known for his support of Palestinian human rights, said last week that "massacres and state terrorism in Gaza make this money unacceptable". EIFF promptly made a U-turn and handed the cash back.

But yesterday Tali Shalom-Ezer, the Israeli director whose travel costs were to have been covered by the controversial donation, accused Loach of "racism" and EIFF of "surrendering" to political pressure.

Shalom-Ezer, 31, whose first publicly released film, Surrogate, debuts in Israeli cinemas next week, said: "Generalising all citizens of Israel as warmongers and racists is racism and outrageous, and as members of the peace camp we are personally hurt by it."

However, speaking last night from France, where his film Looking For Eric is delighting critics at the Cannes Film Festival, Loach insisted his stance bore "no taint of racism".

He told The Scotsman he had rescinded his call for a boycott and added: "It was not a boycott against individual filmmakers, it was a boycott against the state of Israel.

"The position of those who organise the cultural boycott against the Israeli state are pleased to support individual filmmakers in any way they can. We all know that Tali Shalom-Ezer is more than welcome to come."

This failed to mollify the Israeli, however, who responded: "He has created a situation in which going to see Surrogate means supporting the state of Israel. He has made this connection."

The EIFF funding row has refuelled controversy over cultural and academic boycott efforts against Israel which have been taking place in Scotland. Students at Edinburgh, Strathclyde, Glasgow and Dundee universities in February voiced their opposition to their institutions having links with Israel.

However, opponents believe Israel is being unfairly singled out from other countries and that blanket boycotts undermine the efforts of Israeli advocates for peace.

A spokesman for Israeli foreign minister Yigal Palmor has also criticised festival organisers. He said: "This sheds a very unpleasant light on those promoting the festival. This decision was not taken because of anything Tali Shalom-Ezer did, but for what she is."

Shalom-Ezer said she still intended to attend the festival.