The Istanbul film festival was canceled by organizers in protest after authorities banned the screening of Luca Guadagnino's Queer, starring Daniel Craig. MUBI denounced the ban as a restriction on artistic expression and cultural diversity.
The organizers of a film festival in Istanbul announced its cancellation on Thursday in protest, following local authorities' ban on the screening of the film Queer, starring former "James Bond" actor Daniel Craig.
"A few hours before the opening, authorities in the Kadikoy district informed us that the screening of Queer, scheduled for the opening session, was prohibited on the grounds that it contained provocative content likely to disturb public order," explained MUBI, the art-house film streaming platform and festival organizer.
MUBI announced the cancellation of this four-day festival just hours before its opening in Kadikoy, a district on the Asian side of Istanbul. According to MUBI, authorities specified that the ban was "decided for security reasons."
"Festivals are breathing spaces that celebrate art and cultural diversity and bring people together. This ban affects not only a single film but the entire meaning and purpose of the festival," declared the organizers.
This ban is "an obstacle to creation and freedom of expression," denounced MUBI.
In the film, directed by Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino and premiered at the Venice Film Festival last month, Daniel Craig leaves behind his 007 character for the solitude and angst of a gay drug addict. The film, inspired by a novel by William S. Burroughs, explores the complex dynamics of a romantic relationship between two men and includes explicit sex scenes.
Back in 2020, Netflix canceled a production in Turkey after failing to obtain filming permits for a series in which one of the main characters was gay.
Homosexuality was decriminalized in Turkey in 1858 but remains a taboo subject for much of society. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan frequently delivers speeches inciting hatred toward LGBT+ individuals, accusing them of threatening traditional family values.
The Istanbul Pride march has been banned annually since 2015 for security reasons, and LGBT+ individuals report being frequently subjected to harassment and assaults.
MUBI, headquartered in London, is a global distributor, producer, and streamer of art-house films. It was founded in 2007 by Turkish entrepreneur Efe Cakarel and offers streaming services in over 195 countries, according to its website.
With AFP
Comments