A Norwegian documentary festival has refused to screen an Israeli film that deals with the lives of disabled children in Israel.
The 'Human Rights - Human Wrongs' film festival send an email to filmmaker Roy Zafrani last week in which it informed him that his documentary 'The other dreamers' would not be shown at the festival because "we support the academic and cultural boycott of Israel.''
Ketil Magnussen said in his email to Zafrani that unless the lattter's films were about the ''illegal occupation'' or the Israeli blockade of Gaza or discrimination against Palestinians, they would have to be refused. ''I'm sorry,'' he was quoted by the 'New York Times' as writing, ''Please let me know if you have documentary films that are dealing directly with the occupation.''
Zafrani's film was shown at a number of festivals outside Israel and deals with the lives of disabled children at a center near Tel Aviv. Zafrani said he had put news of the rejection and its reasoning on his Facebook page without identifying the festival or Magnussen.
Magnussen said on Facebook that he signed a petition supporting the boycott three years ago and was opposed to Israeli policies toward Palestinians; and that although his decision was not about an individual filmmaker or film, the aims of the boycott were right.
