Netflix, one of the world’s most popular movie streaming sites, is facing backlash for removing 19 films from its “Palestinian Stories,” collection in mid-October.
The collection, launched in October 2021, features 32 films by Palestinian directors or narratives, aiming to highlight Palestinian voices in global cinema.
It included award-winning works such as “A Man Returned” by Mahdi Fleifel, “Like 20 Impossibles” by Annemarie Jacir, and “The Crossing” by May Odeh.
Netflix has stopped streaming several films, including “Divine Intervention,” “Salt of the Sea,” and “3000 Nights,” which won the 2002 Cannes Jury Prize.
The Netlfix decision has been criticised by human rights advocates and social media users as it may hinder Palestinian representation amid Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, causing infrastructure damage and over 42,000 civilian deaths.
On Thursday, October 24, Freedom Forward, along with 35 other human rights organizations have written an open letter to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, requesting an explanation and reinstatement of every Palestinian film removed from its platform.
The letter read:
“We are deeply concerned by Netflix’s decision to delete at least 19 films by Palestinian filmmakers or about Palestinian stories from your platform last week — on October 13th and October 14th.”
“In the U.S., the ‘Palestinian Stories’ Netflix page now shows only one film that is available for viewing. Netflix has deleted almost all of its Palestinian films and has failed to explain why, despite a global outcry from thousands of people via social media.”
“We are deeply concerned that Netflix’s deletion of nearly its entire library of Palestinian films will further marginalize Palestinian voices at a time when over two million Palestinians in Gaza are being subjected to genocide by the Israeli military,” the letter concludes.
However, Netflix clarifies that the films are being removed due to the end of the license deal.
“We launched this licensed collection of films in 2021 for three years. Those licenses have now expired. As always, we continue to invest in a wide variety of quality films and TV shows to meet our members’ needs, and celebrate voices from around the world,” the streaming media company said in a statement to Deadline.
