The screening of a documentary dedicated to the far-right movement in the UK and Europe has been canceled at the London Film Festival, due to concerns over the “safety” of event staff.
The screening of a documentary dedicated to the far-right movement in the UK and Europe was canceled this weekend at the London Film Festival, over fears for the “safety” of event staff.
The documentary, titled “Undercover: Exposing The Far Right”, was produced by the British Havana Marking in collaboration with the anti-racist organization Hope Not Hate and investigated the methods and financing of various far-right movements and personalities in Europe.
“After exploring every possible option to screen this film at a public festival, we have made the painful decision not to present ‘Undercover: Exposing the Far Right,'” festival director Kristy Matheson said in a statement. Despite recognizing the “exceptional” quality of the film, Matheson considered that “festival employees have the right to feel safe and have their mental health and well-being respected in their workplace.”
The director said she was “furious” about the cancellation of the documentary, although she said she “understands” the festival’s desire to “take care of its employees,” in reaction to The Guardian newspaper. Havana Marking believes that the far-right anti-immigration riots that broke out this summer in the United Kingdom have “scared people,” noting that “it is increasingly difficult to make documentaries with political content, and if we don’t guarantee one it won’t really help.” .
The London Film Festival began on the 9th in the British capital with Portuguese names on the programme, including the films “On Falling”, by Laura Carreira, and “Hanami”, by Denise Fernandes, selected for the premiere competition in the making of feature films. movies.
The program of the 68th edition of the London Film Festival also includes “Grand Tour”, by Miguel Gomes, “Fogo do Vento”, by Marta Mateus, which follows the short film “Farpós Baldios” (2017).
They are also joined by “The Nights Still Smell of Gunpowder,” by Mozambican director Inadelso Cossa, which premiered at the Berlin Festival in February and reflects on the memory of the civil war in the country, and the short film “Our Lady Who Queima”, by visual artist and filmmaker Alice dos Reis, filmed in the Serra da Gardunha, in Beira Baixa.
Source: Observadora
