Latest news with #Artists4Ceasefire
Buzz Feed
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Here's The Important Meaning Behind Nicola Coughlan's Latest Red Carpet Look
Nicola Coughlan's latest red carpet look is a nod to her activist work. The Bridgerton and Derry Girls star recently attended the Canneseries Festival — a TV festival in France — where she was given the Konbini Commitment Award. It's an award given "to talent who have distinguished themselves by the artistic quality and societal, innovative and/or revolutionary dimension of their work." For the occasion, she wore a custom Robert Wun couture dress fittingly called"The Peace Lily Gown." As the name implies, the flower typically symbolizes"peace, tranquility, and purity." In her acceptance speech, she said, "In Northern Ireland, after decades of violence, peace was achieved with the vital involvement of the United States. Today, as we witness the relentless destruction of Gaza, I can't help but believe that if those in power step in and all of us with a moral conscience speak up, there could be peace there, too. Those children living in fear deserve a future, and we should not sit by in silence." Nicola has made sartorial nods to Palestine before, having worn her Artists4Ceasefire pin to most press events in recent months. She recently said of her support of Palestine, 'There is a factor of 'it's better if you say nothing' because our job is to entertain are talking about right or wrong, about children being bombed in their beds. I wouldn't accept that anywhere in the world.'
Al Bawaba
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Bawaba
Richard Gere recites Mahmoud Darwish poem in solidarity with Palestinians
ALBAWABA - Richard Gere shares emotional poem in support of Palestinian people. Also Read Bella Hadid raises the Palestinian flag in the streets of Paris In a social media video this week, Richard Gere read a poem by the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish as a heartfelt humanitarian gesture in support of the Palestinian people. "As you prepare your breakfast... think of others." The poem "Think of Others," which emphasizes the pain of the Palestinian people due to decades of persecution, injustice, and displacement, was selected by the international celebrity. "As you prepare your breakfast, think of others (don't forget the pigeons' food)" is one of the poem's heartwarming lines. Remember those who are fighting for peace as you fight your own wars. When you pay your water bill, consider the people who are helping the clouds. Remember the folks in the camps and keep others in mind as you head back home. Consider others (those without a place to sleep) while you sleep and count the stars. In the video, Richard Gere also disclosed that he had met Mahmoud Darwish many years prior, highlighting the poet's significant influence on him. Richard Gere recited the poem at a time when Israel was still attacking the Gaza Strip after the ceasefire that was declared in January of last year collapsed. His act has drawn a lot of attention on social media due to the continued atrocities and forced relocation. The Artists4Ceasefire campaign, which advocates for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged region, and the release of prisoners and detainees, posted the video. The group added that the poem was sung in memory of Pope Francis, who startled millions of Catholics worldwide when he passed away on Monday from a heart attack and stroke. The Israeli administration was incensed at the Pope's frequent expressions of criticism of the war in Gaza. According to the campaign, the deceased Pope "embodied the message of Darwish's poem through his profound compassion and compassionate actions toward all who suffer." NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 08: Richard Gere (Photo by Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images via AFP) Known for his parts in popular movies like Chicago and Pretty Woman, Richard Gere has visited with the relatives of Israeli prisoners in Gaza before. He hasn't held back, though, when criticizing Israeli policy. In his 2017 tour to the West Bank, he called Israeli settlements "a ludicrous and completely illegal provocation," saying they "do not express the sincere intentions of any genuine peace process."
New York Times
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘No Other Land,' Whose Politics Deterred Distributors, Wins Best Documentary
Accepting the Oscar for best documentary feature on Sunday night, two filmmakers behind 'No Other Land,' which chronicles Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes in the southern West Bank, called on the world to work to help halt the 'ethnic cleansing' of Palestinians, free the remaining Israeli hostages captured in 'the crime of Oct. 7' and chart a more equitable path forward for Palestinians. 'When I look at Basel, I see my brother,' said Yuval Abraham, an Israeli journalist and one of the filmmakers, referring to his fellow director, the Palestinian activist Basel Adra, who had just spoken. 'But we are unequal. We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law and Basel is under military laws, that destroy lives, that he cannot control.' Adra said that their film 'reflects the harsh reality we have been enduring for decades and still resist, as we call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people.' The selection of 'No Other Land' for best documentary feature represented a landmark and a rebuke. Despite a string of honors and rave reviews, no distributor would pick up this film in the United States, making it nearly impossible for American filmgoers to see it in theaters or to stream it. This shortcoming made 'No Other Land' part of a broader trend in recent years in which topical documentaries have struggled to secure distribution. The film is often brutal, featuring disturbing images of razed houses, crying children, bereft mothers and even on-camera shootings. And it entered a perennially supercharged political climate at an especially sensitive moment, debuting within months of Hamas's attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel's response in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza. The politics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are especially prominent in Hollywood. Last year, the entertainment executive Ari Emanuel, who is Jewish, drew boos after criticizing Israel's conservative prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, while accepting an award from a major Jewish group in Los Angeles. And at last year's Oscars ceremony, the British director Jonathan Glazer, who is also Jewish, compared aspects of his Holocaust film, 'The Zone of Interest,' to elements of the present conflict — an acceptance speech that provoked dueling letters condemning and defending it. At the same ceremony, some attendees wore pins distributed by Artists4Ceasefire, a group that was then calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. At this year's ceremony, the speeches by Adra and Abraham, who were joined onstage by their two other directors, Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor, were greeted with applause. The Australian actor Guy Pearce, a best supporting actor nominee who wore a 'Free Palestine' lapel pin on the Oscars red carpet, could be seen on television encouraging the filmmakers on as they passed him on their way to the stage. During his acceptance speech, Abraham seemed aware of the prominent stage he had. Calling for a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that provides national rights for both peoples, he said, 'I have to say, as I am here, the foreign policy in this country is helping to block this path.' Abraham also seemed to allude to an old slogan of the Israeli left: 'Can't you see that we are intertwined? That my people can be truly safe if Basel's people are truly free and safe? There is another way.' Here are the full acceptance speeches: BASEL ADRA Thank you to the Academy for the award. It's such a big honor for the four of us and everybody who supported us for this documentary. About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope to my daughter is that she will not have to live the same life I am living now, always fearing violence, home demolitions, forced displacement that my community, Masafer Yatta, is facing every day. 'No Other Land' reflects the harsh reality we have been enduring for decades and still resist as we call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people. YUVAL ABRAHAM We made this film, Palestinians and Israelis, because together our voices are stronger. We see each other. The atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people, which must end; the Israeli hostages brutally taken in the crime of Oct. 7, which must be freed. When I look at Basel, I see my brother. But we are unequal. We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law and Basel is under military laws, that destroy lives, that he cannot control. There is a different path, a political solution without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people. And I have to say, as I am here, the foreign policy in this country is helping to block this path. Why? Can't you see that we are intertwined? That my people can be truly safe if Basel's people are truly free and safe? There is another way. It's not too late for life, for the living.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pro-Palestine Protests Slow Down Hollywood Streets Ahead of Oscars
Pro-Palestine protestors blocked many of the same streets used to get to the 2025 Oscars on Sunday, slowing traffic ahead of the ceremony's start. The protest took place at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, where cars and limousines must turn on their way to the Dolby Theatre. The Hollywood Reporter learned that authorities closed several nearby streets because of the activity, and at least one THR staffer attending Sunday's ceremony noted that traffic was barely moving. More from The Hollywood Reporter BBC Gaza Doc Fallout Continues as Former Chief Accuses Corp of Being "Manipulated by Terrorists" Oscar Season's Dopest Dials Red Carpet Rocks (You Can Wear) One social media post from human rights organization Code Pink noted they were 'outside of the Oscars in LA protesting against Hollywood's complicity in Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people.' Another source told THR that the Los Angeles Police Department had increased their security measures for this year's ceremony, after protests last year — also for Palestine — slowed access to the red carpet. The protests this year have not disrupted the ceremony's timing, and many of the night's biggest expected stars, including Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, have already arrived. Last year's Oscars ceremony began six minutes late as a result of the protests, which brought traffic to a complete standstill at Sunset and Highland for more than 30 minutes. Attendees left their vehicles and began walking toward the event on the side of the road. The Israel-Hamas war remains a prominent issue for Hollywood in 2025. Last week, Artists4Ceasefire sent a letter urging attendees to wear red hand pins in support of Gaza. The Brigade, a PR group, fired back at the request, after the release of the bodies of the youngest hostages killed by Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Artists4Ceasefire said the pins are meant to 'symbolize the urgency of the call to save lives. The orange hand conveys the beautiful community of people from all backgrounds that have come together in support of centering our shared humanity. The heart being cradled in the center of the hand is an invitation for us to lead with our hearts, always, to lead with love.' The Brigade represents over 700 members and wrote in response that the hand 'is no symbol of peace. It is the emblem of Jewish bloodshed.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter 20 Times the Oscars Got It Wrong The Best Anti-Fascist Films of All Time Dinosaurs, Zombies and More 'Wicked': The Most Anticipated Movies of 2025
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What the Red-Hand Pin Means to Jews, and Why It Matters
At last year's Oscars ceremony, a number of celebrities, including Billie Eilish, Ramy Youssef and Mark Ruffalo, wore the red-hand pin provided by an organization called Artists4Ceasefire. Artists4Ceasefire is again calling upon Hollywood luminaries to wear their pin at this Sunday's Oscars. Artists4Ceasefire describes itself as calling for 'an immediate and permanent ceasefire, full hostage release, and delivery of lifesaving aid in Gaza' and claims that their pin, which depicts a red hand with a black heart in its center, 'symbolizes support for universal human rights and lasting peace.' Let's ignore the fact that there currently is a ceasefire, that hostages are being released, and that aid is being delivered in Gaza (as it has been throughout the war). What could possibly be problematic in a call for 'human rights and lasting peace?' The problem is in the symbolism of the red hand itself. For many Jews, this symbol is an explicit reference to a 2000 incident in which a group of Palestinians in Ramallah brutally murdered two captured Israeli military reservists. The murderers then held up their bloody, red hands to the delight of a cheering crowd. Thus, for many Jews, the red hand pin is a symbol of the murder of Jews, and those wearing it are, whether they know it or not, calling for and supporting such murder. So what do Artists4Ceasefire and those who will wear the pins on Sunday think that the pins mean? Are they calling for the murder of Jews? Are they ignorant of the fact that the image on the pin bears this history and symbolism? Or are they aware that it has this meaning for Jews, but don't care because, for them, it means something different? I am reminded of an incident that happened in Hollywood during the writers' strike of 2023. The Writers Guild of America had created a private Facebook page in which writers could share information about the strike, commiserate and seek support during a difficult time. One writer — I'll call him Bob, though that's not his real name — shared a post expressing his frustration and making a joke implying that he was ready to kill himself. The post was accompanied by a clip-art type image of a man hanging from a tree in silhouette. Bob's post was met with an immediate outcry of shock and outrage, as the image of a man hanging from a tree suggested, to many, the horrific lynching of Black people. Bob claimed that he never intended for the image to be seen as having anything to do with race or with lynching, but rather that it was just a poor attempt at a joke about suicide. Leaving aside the inappropriateness of joking about suicide, I must say that I believed Bob here (full disclosure, I worked with Bob many years ago for a brief time). I do not think he meant the image he shared to suggest the lynching of Black people. The WGA, however, either did not believe Bob or did not care what his intention was. If he did not know that this image would be viewed as racist, he should have known. The WGA officially charged him with 'conduct prejudicial to the welfare of the Guild and unfair dealing with other members,' found him guilty and publicly censured him. The point, as I see it, is that if an image is offensive and hurtful to members of a minority group, that fact should be sufficient cause for all to avoid using such an image in a way that would result in emotional or psychic harm. This sensitivity applies to displaying pictures of a lynching, just is it applies to displaying confederate flags – due to the meaning the images hold for those who will see them, not just for the intent of those displaying them. We will see, on Sunday, if this sensitivity applies to the image of a blood red hand, due to the meaning that it holds for Jews. We will see who is indifferent to the fact that, for Jews, the red hand symbolizes the murder of Jews, by referencing the killing of two Israelis in Ramalah, an incident which, by the way, has been frequently referred to as a 'lynching.' And we will see if any Hollywood unions censure their members who do wear the pin for 'conduct prejudicial to the welfare of the Guild.' Michael Kaplan is a TV writer-producer, playwright, and children's book author. For his TV work, he has been nominated for four Emmy Awards, winning one. The post What the Red-Hand Pin Means to Jews, and Why It Matters | Guest Column appeared first on TheWrap.
