The Palestine Solidarity Campaign is considering calling for a boycott of the Labia Theatre and lodging a complaint against it with the SA Human Rights Commission over its refusal to screen a documentary critical of Israel.
Labia owner Ludi Krause has said the cinema does not want to screen films with a potential to offend its patrons.
The Palestine Solidarity Committee asked the theatre for a screening, on March 4, of the documentary Roadmap to Apartheid, which explores parallels between apartheid and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Krause turned it down because it was “political” and “could spark controversy”.
Palestine Solidarity Committee chairman Martin Jansen has alleged Krause’s decision was because of the influence of local Zionist lobbyists. The SA Zionist Federation (Cape Council) and the SA Jewish Board of Deputies (Cape Council) rejected this allegation, saying they respected the Labia’s right to decide what to screen.
Jansen says his committee and the Palestine Solidarity Group have merged to form the campaign and have support from Cosatu. They would announce on Friday what action they intended to take.
“We have no choice but to consider calling for a boycott of the Labia by the public, film festival organisers and producers of films. Part of our programme of action is lodging a formal complaint against the Labia with the Human Rights Commission,” said Jansen.
Krause said his cinema was not a political forum, had a policy of being apolitical and tried to be sensitive to its audience’s tastes. The theatre had also refused to screen Four Lions, a film that appeared offensive to Muslim patrons, he said.
“On the other hand, we chose to screen Paradise Now, which dealt with suicide bombers in Israel, because it looked at both sides in a balanced way,” Krause said.
He had not viewed Roadmap to Apartheid, but from its title and the internet images he had seen, it looked one-sided, he said.
“We believe we have the democratic right in the interests of our small business to be selective.”
Krause said neither Roadmap to Apartheid’s title nor the Palestine Solidarity Committee’s name was mentioned when the Labia was asked about a possible screening.
“There was a chance of their expecting to be refused. I would be upset about a boycott. Have they approached the major cinemas? Why pick on us? I can’t talk about compromise with people who are threatening me with litigation, the media and a boycott.” - Cape Times