Some of the biggest names in British cinema are accused of being involved in ‘art washing’ after agreeing to take part in a film festival in Saudi Arabia next week.
The regime has reportedly carried out 12 beheadings in recent weeks, and government agents are widely believed to have murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
Next Thursday, director Guy Ritchie will receive an “honorary award to recognize his outstanding contribution to the film industry” at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah. He will also give a talk about his career at the event, hosted by the country’s culture minister.
ALISON BOSHOFF: Some of the biggest names in British cinema are accused of being involved in ‘art washing’ after agreeing to appear at a film festival in Saudi Arabia next week (Guy Ritchie pictured in 2017)
Ritchie’s agent at WME did not respond to requests for comment, nor did his attorney Matthew Saver.
It’s unclear if the director received a fee for his participation, but industry sources say it would be normal for attendees to receive one, along with free travel and accommodation.
There is another British involvement, with two British films – Sam Mendes’ Empire Of Light, starring Olivia Colman, and Shekhar Kapur’s What’s Love Got To Do With It, starring Lily James and Dame Emma Thompson – screened at the event. .
The latter, a romantic comedy scripted by Jemima Khan, will premiere on opening night. It was made by British film company Working Title, whose co-chairs – Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner – are both CBEs.
Uh-oh: It’s unclear if the director was paid for his participation, but industry sources say it would be normal for attendees to receive one, plus free travel and accommodation (pictured in 2015 )
Khan plans to attend, but says she was distressed by the decision. “I have always been and continue to be critical of human rights abuses by the Saudi government. But I learned from my years in Pakistan that while avoiding people rarely brings change, engaging through art and culture can sometimes do that.
“I thought about it a lot and I think that, all in all, it is useful to show a film about multiculturalism and tolerance, featuring strong and independent women, in a country where just five years ago , going to the movies was illegal, and women weren’t allowed to drive, go out in public without a male “guardian,” let alone make movies.”
A spokeswoman for Thompson, who has been a prominent human rights advocate and has supported organizations such as Amnesty International, said this week she would not attend. She would be on a press tour to promote the film Matilda.
Agents for Lily James did not respond to requests for comment. Music producer Naughty Boy, who also worked on the pic, confirmed on Monday that he would be coming and said, “I can’t wait to be there.”
Oh my goodness: There’s another British involvement, with two British films – Sam Mendes’ Empire Of Light, starring Olivia Colman (pictured in October 2022), and Shekhar Kapur’s What’s Love Got To Do With It, starring Lily James and Dame Emma Thompson – being screened at the event
What’s Love Got To Do With It was presented at the Festival by distributor Studio Canal. No one at the company was willing to comment this week.
The Red Sea International Film Festival is managed by a foundation chaired by Prince Badr bin Abdullah Al-Saud, Saudi Minister of Culture.
Of course, film isn’t the only British industry with links to Saudis, but a spokesperson for Human Rights Watch has urged celebrities to limit their involvement, or at least speak out against human rights abuses during their holiday.
“Saudi authorities often use international cultural festivals as a reputation laundering tool, the same way they have used past celebrities and sporting events to try to whitewash their rather terrible image,” the Saudi Arabian official said recently. New York-based organization.
We don’t take a position on the boycott, but we urge people to educate themselves as much as possible about what’s going on and ask them to use their platform to speak out against abuse.
Peter Frankental, director of the economic affairs program at Amnesty International UK, took a similar line: “Whether actors and directors travel to Jeddah is up to them, but we urge participants to use their platforms to raise issues relating to human rights.
“Earlier this year Saudi authorities executed 81 people in a single day, there are currently child offenders on death row, and we have seen Twitter users like Leeds student Salma al-Shehab sentenced to enormous prison terms; and there was never any real accountability for the shocking murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
Hollywood director Oliver Stone is the president of the Festival jury.
Issue: A romantic comedy scripted by Jemima Khan will premiere on the opening night of a film festival in Saudi Arabia next week (pictured October 2022)