A Bristol arts venue that was subjected to protests last year after it cancelled events for the Bristol Palestine Film Festival is now one of the venues hosting the events. The Arnolfini, which pulled out of the festival last year, has since apologised and is screening four films this week.
These include an Arabic language opera and a documentary which explores the struggles and resilience of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation and features Holocaust survivor Dr. Gabor Maté. The Festival, which runs until December 8, has film screenings all week across various venues including The Watershed and The Cub cinema.
In December last year the venue’s decision to axe two events that were part of the festival was met with a series of sit-in protests, an open letter signed by thousands of people and an artist’s boycott. The Arnolfini ended up closing for several weekends during December 2023 as a result of the protests.
By January 2024, the Arnolfini expressed their regret in the decision to cancel the events due to them being deemed too ‘political’. But the campaigners and artists boycotting the venue did not accept the apology at the time due to the vagueness in the wording and the venue’s failure to mention Palestine.
It was not until May 2024 that the boycott of the Arnolfini was finally called off after the venue stated that cancelling the events was ‘wrong’ and that it is ‘truly sorry’.
In the statement made in May 2024 the venue added: “The ongoing devastation and loss of life in Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Israel is abhorrent. The International Court of Justice has described Israel’s actions in Gaza as plausible acts of genocide. During this overwhelming humanitarian crisis, the voices of the victims need to be heard.
“Arnolfini recognises the importance of artists and their powerful voices in a complex world. We believe that freedom of expression and intellectual freedom are vital and must be fully reflected in our policies and practices. We are sorry that we did not provide a platform for Palestinian voices at such a crucial time.”
You can find out more about the Bristol Palestine Film Festival here.