Danny Glover and others actors featured in a documentary on an American social activist have formally protested the screening of their film in Tel Aviv, reports The Times of Israel. The actors announced their support for a cultural and academic boycott of Israel.
The film, “American Revolutionary: the Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs” is scheduled to be shown at Tel Aviv’s DocAviv documentary film festival, which runs through May 17.
In a statement, Glover and nine others featured in the film, along with Boggs, a 98-year-old philosopher and activist whose life is chronicled in the documentary, said: “We stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine, and support their call for cultural and academic boycott of Israel… we were shocked to find the film slated to be screened at the DocAviv festival in Israel on May 13th and 15th. This was scheduled without our knowledge.”
Glover and the others unsuccessfully tried to cancel the screenings. “The festival organizers and film producers informed us that this was not possible and they would move forward with the screening, over our objections.”
Boggs “has explicitly stated her support of the boycott and believes this screening is in direct contradiction to her legacy and ongoing work as a revolutionary,” the statement said.
The producers posted their own statement on the films website saying they made a documentary whose “story we want to share with audiences everywhere,” and were unaware that those participating in the film would object to it being screened in Israel.
Glover has announced his support of the Israeli boycott before. In 2009, he was one of 50 celebrities who signed a letter protesting the Toronto International Film Festival’s focus on Israeli films that year.
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