State as censor: Where does Karnataka stand?

When the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in recent years—particularly after 2014—screened films like The Kashmir Files, The Kerala Story, and The Bengal Files, and even placed them in competition alongside some of the best films from across the world, it raised questions about the festival’s curatorial direction. These films have been widely called out by critics and cinephiles not only for their ideological leanings aligned with that of the ruling dispensation at the Centre but also for their cinematic quality, with several describing them as propaganda and poorly made.  

When the Ministry of External Affairs denied permission to screen about 14 films from various countries, including Palestine, at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took a strong stand supporting the festival’s stated ideological and political position—solidarity with Palestine. He asserted that the festival could continue screening the films irrespective of exemptions.

Now, as the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes) begins on Thursday, there is once again no clarity about the screening of Palestinian films. Will CM Siddaramaiah take a stand? 

As of Monday, according to the festival organisers, five films—All That’s Left of You, Palestine 36, The Voice of Hind Rajab, Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, and Yes—are yet to receive clearance. Apart from these, no other Palestinian film has been cleared so far.  

All That’s Left of You, which premièred at the Sundance Film Festival, follows a Palestinian family across three generations amid the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The Voice of Hind Rajab, which premièred in Venice, documents Red Crescent volunteers’ attempts to rescue six-year-old Hind Rajab, trapped in a car under fire in Gaza. Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk follows an Iranian filmmaker in exile who travels to Cairo in an attempt to cross into Gaza; stopped at Rafah, she documents the war through video-call interviews with a photojournalist and her family in devastated northern Gaza.  In Yes, Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid makes a critical commentary about his homeland in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 attacks. 

These films are well-discussed internationally and were also part of the IFFK’s curation. The Voice of Hind Rajab has also received an Oscar nomination. The organisers at BIFFes say the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Ministry of External Affairs have sought more details about the films. Given that these films have already been widely screened and discussed, the request essentially meant running out the clock, with no clarity on clearance. 

Film festivals are not merely platforms to screen hundreds of films or host workshops. They are political spaces that reflect the ideology of the State, and for most government-run festivals, the State’s support is vital. They are spaces where people come together for larger causes. At the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, for example, pro-Palestine demonstrations took place with the participation of organisers, filmmakers and artists. At the BAFTA awards in 2024, filmmaker Ken Loach called for a ceasefire in Gaza. In recent years, film festivals have witnessed people and celebrities come together in support of Palestine. And like all forms of art, cinema is political; screening Palestinian films in today’s political situation is very important. 

In Karnataka, despite a Congress-led government, there has been little visible assertion on such matters by the government. In 2024, Kesari Haravoo’s Kisan Satyagraha, a documentary on farmers’ protest against the farm laws, and the Ukrainian film 20 Days in Mariupol, which followed Ukrainian journalists trapped in Mariupol and documented the images of war, did not receive clearance from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. BIFFes proceeded without screening these films. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in recent years, has spoken out on issues ranging from farmers’ rights to Palestine and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza; questions remain about how far these positions translate into action. 

Will CM Siddaramaiah take a stand this time? If the state government chooses to take a stand, avenues to screen these films may yet be found.  Every year, BIFFes screens its opening film at the Vidhana Soudha after the inaugural function. This year, a Palestinian film could serve as that opening film. Even making a statement can be loud enough. If Pinarayi Vijayan could do it, so could Siddaramaiah — provided the Congress-led government is in solidarity with Palestine and is against the divisive politics of the BJP-led central government.