PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — An Israeli Film Festival of Philadelphia screening scheduled for Tuesday night, which was suddenly canceled by the presenting theater on Monday, was allowed to be shown, by court order, as planned and at its original location.
Festival organizers took the Bryn Mawr Film Institute to court over their sudden decision to cancel the screening of the documentary “The Child Within Me,” which is about the life and career of a famous Israeli musician who is the son of Holocaust survivors.
Festival founding member Mindy Chriqui says BMFI told organizers they were canceling the screening for political reasons.
“It basically said: ‘because of Israel's actions in Gaza,’” Chriqui said.
“It's a film about a very famous singer. His name is Yehuda Poliker. He is the child of Greek Holocaust survivors. He happens to be a gay man. So if you can find the connection between this and the Gaza war, more power to you.”
BMFI posted on their website: “The movie is being widely taken among individuals and institutions in our community as an endorsement of Israel’s recent and ongoing actions. This is not a statement we intended or wish to make.”
Chriqui says that’s not a good enough reason to break their contract.
“If you have a contract — and we have a contract with them — you can't just back out arbitrarily, because of what you conjure up.”
A judge sided with the film festival organizers.
“Our lawyer went to Montgomery County Courthouse and got an injunction against the Bryn Mawr Film Institute.”
Michael Balaban with the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia points out the decision came on the heels of protests from Bryn Mawr and Haverford College students against the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza.
The Philly Palestine Coalition had also called on the theater to cancel the screening, claiming that the film festival is sponsored by Israel Bonds, which raises foreign funds for the Israeli government.
“I don't know what Bryn Mawr Film Institute's motive was other than caving in to hatred,” Balaban said.
He says the Institute’s decision is indicative of a bigger problem.
“This action serves to blacklist Israeli culture. It plays into the hands of antisemitic tropes, plays into the hands of a cancel culture and the boycott-divestment movement and denies the Jewish people their voice and their right to existence," Balaban said.
“We can't normalize hate so that it becomes commonplace.”
The Bryn Mawr Film Institute released a statement on April 8 on their decision to not move forward with the screening, which you can read in full below:
Bryn Mawr Film Institute is not a political organization. We don’t endorse or oppose any causes. In past years, we have not regarded hosting a screening from the Israeli Film Festival as a political partnership or taking a stance on any issues. This was our feeling when we arranged the 2024 screening many months ago. However, as the situation in Israel and Gaza has developed, it has become clear that our showing this movie is being widely taken among individuals and institutions in our community as an endorsement of Israel’s recent and ongoing actions. This is not a statement we intended or wish to make. For this reason, BMFI is canceling the sole screening of the music documentary, The Child Within Me.
BMFI is a safe place for civil and nuanced conversations about diverse stories. For the well-being and safety of all patrons, BMFI will not be a location for anger and violence. For those who wish to partake in an IFF screening, there are upcoming screenings at other venues.