- Title: Palestinians and Jordanians denounce the film 'Amira' tackling sperm smuggling
- Date: 14th December 2021
- Summary: QADURA FARIS, HEAD OF THE PALESTINIAN PRISONER'S CLUB, IN HIS OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEAD OF THE PALESTINIAN PRISONER'S CLUB, QADURA FARIS, SAYING: "It (referring to 'Amira') is a movie that doesn't reflect reality but distorts it. It also abuses the people, the innocents and the activist and extraordinary experiment that the Palestinians are running. Therefore, when we talk about stopping working with this film, we mean it comprehensively. (The film) shouldn't be in cinemas, neither in film festivals, nor in films competitions, nor on social media." EXTERIOR OF PALESTINIAN PRISONER'S CLUB
- Embargoed: 28th December 2021 13:52
- Keywords: Amman Film Jordan Palestinian cinema movies
- Location: BETHLEHEM AND RAMALLAH, WEST BANK / AMMAN, JORDAN
- City: BETHLEHEM AND RAMALLAH, WEST BANK / AMMAN, JORDAN
- Country: Palestinian Occupied Territory
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Film,Middle East
- Reuters ID: LVA005F80F4GL
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Drama film "Amira", tackling sperm smuggling of Palestinian prisoners, has sparked anger among Jordanians and Palestinians with both calling for the boycott of the movie.
The 2021 fiction film tells the story of a 17-year-old girl, Amira, who has grown-up believing she was conceived with the smuggled sperm of her imprisoned father, only to have her identity questioned when another attempt to conceive a child with her father's smuggled sperm reveals he is infertile.
"Amira", directed by Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Diab, premiered at Venice International Film Festival where it won three awards. It then toured Egypt's El Gouna Film Festival, Saudi Arabia's Red Sea International Film Festival and Tunisia's Carthage Film Festival (JCC), and was submitted by the Royal Film Commission as Jordan's entry to the Oscars.
However, many people expressed their opposition to the film's release, describing it as "offensive" to the Palestinian cause. Among them were wife of Palestinian prisoner Ahmed Mughrabi, Hanadi Mughrabi.
Hanadi, sitting between her twin daughters conceived with her husband's smuggled sperm, recounted how having them was driven by her elderly son wanting siblings.
"I look at the issue on the longer term. When these children grow up and become men and women, how will this film (referring to 'Amira') affect them if it stays?... I demand this film to be destroyed, burnt and doesn't not exist on earth anymore," she said.
In Amman, a number of protesters held banners outside the Royal Film Commission as they gathered to denounce the movie "Amira".
The Royal Film Commission, Jordan's official submitting organization to the Academy Awards, later released a statement in which it said it has decided to withdraw "Amira" for consideration to the 2022 Oscars race.
"We do believe in the artistic value of the film, and that its message doesn't harm in any way the Palestinian cause nor that of the prisoners; on the contrary, it highlights their plight, their resilience as well as their willingness to live a decent life in spite of the occupation," the statement reads.
"However, in light of the recent huge controversy that the film has triggered and the perception by some that it is detrimental to the Palestinian cause and out of respect to the feelings of the prisoners and their families, the Royal Film Commission has taken the decision not to have "AMIRA" representing Jordan for the Academy Awards 2022," it added.
(Production: Hams Rabah, Roleen Tafakji, Muath Freij, Jehad Abu Shalbak, Mohammed Abu Ganeyeh, Adel Abu Nemeh) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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