Israel has defied the international film community by striking a filmmaking pact with Russia.
Israel’s Ambassador to Russia and the Russian Culture Minister unveiled the partnership yesterday, which will see the pair “create films together and work with film archives,” according to Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova, reported by the Jerusalem Post.
The pair said the agreement has been reached after nearly 15 years of negotiations, which were first initiated by Israel.
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“We look forward to seeing Israeli filmmakers in the competition programs of our international film festivals and in public discussions,” said Lyubimova. “We are also preparing to expand the distribution capabilities of Russian-Israeli films.”
Israeli ambassador Alexander Ben Zvi said producers from both nations are “interested in sharing experiences with each other” and “the Russian public will be able to appreciate them.”
Coming from the most right-wing government in Israel’s short history, the move goes against the grain of the international film community.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, major U.S. studios have stopped making films in Russia and some have left the market entirely. TV distributors have stopped selling or buying from Russia and Russian delegates have been banned from numerous film festivals including Cannes.
Last month, shows planned by the Russian Lenkom Theater at Tel Aviv’s Habima Theater were canceled after thousands of Russian-speaking Israelis signed a petition in protest.
Some in the Israeli entertainment community reacted with outrage to the Israel-Russia pact, including Anna Zharova, co-founder and CEO of the Israeli-Ukrainian Alliance, who wrote on Facebook that the agreement comes “in the midst of a full-scale war, where a terrorist country with a dictatorial regime invaded the territory of an independent state, and in which cinema and theater today became the main instruments of fascist propaganda?,” according to the Jerusalem Post’s translation.
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