Korean activists disrupted the event, demanding accountability.
On October 4, KST, the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) a question and answer session was scheduled with the director of the Israeli film Of Dogs And Men. But the event was canceled amid protests from Korean activists demanding that the festival reject artwashing of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The term “artwashing,” coined in 2017 during protests against gentrification in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, refers to the use of art and artists in a way that covers up or legitimizes negative actions by an individual, a organization or group. state. Since last October, Israel’s unprecedented assault on civilian lives in Gaza has prompted activists around the world to call for a cultural boycott of the state as part of the broader BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) movement. The idea behind it is to reject any artwashing attempt against a state actor that blatantly violates international humanitarian law.
After Of Dogs And Men was added to the BIFF screening schedule, more than 800 filmmakers and cultural workers asked the festival to cancel the screening. According to the National BDS Committee statement, “BDS Korea and the Korean Cultural Alliance for Palestine held demonstrations inside and outside the cinema shortly before the cancellation.” One woman even stormed onto the stage where the Q&A was supposed to be held and gave a fiery speech about rejecting the artwashing of Israel’s crimes against humanity.
I would like to inform the directors and officials who are hiding in a hotel somewhere in Busan and monitoring this situation. Please stop throwing this miserable level of propaganda at us. I hope your trip to Busan will never be pleasant and you will leave this country as soon as possible.
To the directors and officials hiding in a hotel somewhere in Busan https://t.co/DphZgEdTXl pic.twitter.com/dzq87zGaF2— 🍉 Solidarity for peace with Palestine – BDS Korea 🇵🇸 (@pps_kr) October 4, 2024
Is the film about an Israeli girl looking for her lost dog? Palestinians in Gaza fear their own bodies could become food for hungry stray dogs. The only time a “story” is told in Gaza is through a poorly made VFX sequence. Gaza is not a fiction.
— Protester on stage
While the festival gave no reason to cancel the question-and-answer event, the National BDS Committee sees it as a partial victory for the movement. Activists are expected to push further for the cancellation of all film screenings.
The incident attracted the attention of international netizens, who showed enormous support for the Korean protesters.
I have so much respect for them, especially that beautiful queen with the powerful speech 🥹👏🏼 https://t.co/AdQQEJmGZk
— nana⁷ 🍉 (pinned mark) (@lilyoongid2) October 4, 2024
This is what I love to see 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸 https://t.co/Q9XpUrXcv8
— Lally⁷ | ✨🍉 (@onmyjungkook7) October 4, 2024
it’s so powerful, I’m so proud of them 🥹🥹🥹 https://t.co/yxMVkGY8aP
— a🍉 (@stillwithjin) October 4, 2024
Thank you for your work and your solidarity in Busan. Artwashing will not, should not be tolerated https://t.co/GCRa1ZGwSl
— XianxiaGirl (@rwizz_r) October 4, 2024
What’s happening in Korea
Share this post
