Film screening on Palestinian girls living through conflict cancelled due to ‘inflammatory’ narrative

SINGAPORE — A documentary about two young girls living under military occupation in Palestine has been barred from being exhibited or distributed here because of its “inflammatory” narrative and potential to stoke racial and religious disharmony in Singapore.

Radiance Of Resistance was to be screened on Thursday (Jan 4) at The Projector, an independent cinema on Beach Road, as part of the Singapore Palestinian Film Festival.

The film, first released in 2016, chronicles the lives of nine-year-old Janna Ayyad and 14-year-old Ahed Tamimi, who are portrayed as part of a new generation of “Palestinian non-violent resistance” against occupying Israeli forces. Their hometown of Nabi Saleh has been occupied by the Israeli army in a longstanding conflict between Israel and Palestine.

In classifying the film as “not allowed for all ratings”, the Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) said the content explores the ongoing conflict “without counter-balance” through the lens of the two girls.

Focusing on the Tamimi family and the two girls, the film “incites activists to continue their resistance against the alleged oppressors” by holding up the girls as role models to be emulated, the IMDA wrote on its website.

“The skewed narrative of the film is inflammatory and has the potential to cause disharmony amongst the different races and religions in Singapore. The film is therefore not allowed for all ratings,” the authority added, noting that this was in accordance with classification guidelines.

Responding to TODAY’s queries, Ms Sharon Tan, The Projector’s co-founder and general manager, said customers who bought tickets to the show have been contacted and refunded in full.

“As the venue for the film festival, we respect the IMDA’s decision on the classification of this film,” she added.

The festival, founded in 2016, will run from Friday to Sunday.

Its organiser Adela Foo, 23, told TODAY via text message the IMDA first told her on Dec 14 that screening of the film may not be allowed, and confirmed the decision on Dec 29.

Ms Foo was “slightly surprised” by the film’s classification because she felt it was a “really good film” that was relevant to the present day.

“I thought the idea of citizen journalists is pretty relevant in today’s world, (and) how alternative narratives and stories beyond national media reportage are alternative tools of education,” said the Middle Eastern studies and classics student at Bard College, a private liberal-arts college in the United States.

Nevertheless, Ms Foo said she understood the IMDA’s concerns owing to the “unpredictable political developments”.

Israel recently charged one of the two girls, Ahed, now 16, for assaulting Israeli soldiers, after a video of the act went viral on social media sometime in mid-December.

Said Ms Foo: “I had hoped that the film would simply showcase the power of citizen journalism.”

Other films showing at the festival include 3000 Nights, about a Palestinian teacher who gives birth in an Israeli prison, and When I Saw You, Palestine’s 2013 Oscars entry for Best Foreign Language Film.