Hollywood 'dehumanising' Palestinians on screen, say filmmakers

Dozens of filmmakers have signed a letter in support of Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda's Emmy nomination, accusing Hollywood of "dehumanising" Palestinians on screen for decades.

The letter, obtained by Variety and signed by prominent filmmakers including BAFTA winner Farah Nabulsi, director Elia Suleiman, and Hany Abu Assad, marks the first collaborative initiative by Palestinian filmmakers since 7 October.

The letter said that the recent attempt to censor Owda's voice, following the call for her nomination to be rescinded, was "only the latest repressive attempt to deny Palestinians the right to reclaim our narrative, share our history, and in this case bring attention to the atrocities our people are facing in the hopes that we can bring an end to them".

The letter thanked NATAS for "standing up to pressure and insisting on freedom of expression" by defending the journalist’s nomination.

The filmmakers were outraged by Hollywood's alleged dehumanisation and racism towards Palestinians during Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, which has seen more than 40,000 Palestinians killed, the vast majority civilians.

They added that the image of Palestinians as "worthless, disposable being[s]" enables the "whitewashing and/or justification of the crimes perpetrated for decades against Palestinians".

"We must still contend with and fiercely challenge the anti-Palestinian and generally anti-Arab racist propaganda that remains all too prevalent in Western entertainment media," the letter said.

Almost 150 Hollywood actors, writers, and producers - known for their pro-Israeli views - signed an open letter urging the National Academy for Television and Arts and Sciences (NATAS) to rescind Owda’s nomination for her short film over her alleged "ties to a terrorist organisation" - the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

In response, NATAS said it found no evidence to confirm the allegations against the Palestinian journalists and would not reverse its nomination.

It came after Owda was nominated for her series It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m Still Alive in collaboration with AJ+ under the Outstanding Hard News Feature Story: Short Form category.

Her series was also awarded the Peabody Award for highlighting the impact of Israel’s war on Gaza on Palestinians.