A Belgian film festival has canceled the screening of a documentary film that touches on LGBTQ intolerance in Gaza after pressure from pro-Palestinian activists.
The film, “The Belle from Gaza,” by French director Yolande Zauberman, is not Israeli. It tells of a transgender woman who flees the Strip and relocates to Tel Aviv, and of her life in the community there.
In a statement, Cinemamed organizers said that the film was “accused by various activist groups of ‘contributing to the pinkwashing of Israel and the genocidal colonial narrative,’ a point of view that we do not share.”
However, they say that after “lengthy reflection” they decided to cancel the screening to maintain “the quality of the reception and the conviviality of the festival.”
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