Attacked! Netflix Speaks Out About the Removal of 19 Palestinian Films: It's Just a Licensing Issue

Kapanlagi.com - In the midst of the escalating Israel-Gaza conflict, Netflix, the world's leading streaming platform, is facing a wave of sharp criticism regarding the removal of Palestinian content from its service. This phenomenon began when the "Palestinian Stories" collection, which had been available since 2021 with 32 film titles, has now drastically shrunk to only 2 films in various regions, including Indonesia.

One of the works that has disappeared from the platform is the documentary film CHILDREN OF SHATILA by Mai Masri, which presents the narrative of life in the refugee camp through the perspective of two Palestinian children. The films in this collection previously served as a window to the world to witness the portrait of Palestinian life, from family dynamics, the spirit of struggle, to the reality of living under Israeli occupation.

In response to the wave of criticism emerging, especially from human rights activists and social media users, Freedom Forward has taken a firm step to restore the 19 films by Palestinian filmmakers. So, how will Netflix respond to this demand amidst the sensitivity of the ongoing conflict? Let's take a look at the explanation below.

1. Response from Netflix

Film Children of Shatila. Source: Netflix

Netflix's decision to remove 19 films themed around Palestine from its service in mid-October has drawn sharp criticism from various quarters, especially amid increasing global attention to the Palestinian issue. This incident has also raised questions about Netflix's content curation policy and its commitment to diversity of narratives presented to a global audience.

In response to the wave of criticism, a Netflix spokesperson provided an explanation to The Hollywood Reporter that the "Palestinian Movie" collection, which contains 32 films, was actually launched in October 2021 through a 3-year licensing agreement.

“The license has now expired. We remain committed to providing quality content that represents a variety of global perspectives to meet the needs of our audience,” said the Netflix representative.

2. Encouragement from Human Rights Activists

According to The Hollywood Reporter, in an open letter, several human rights activists expressed deep concern over Netflix's decision to remove almost all films related to Palestine. They requested an explanation from Reed Hastings, the founder and CEO of Netflix, as well as co-CEOs Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos.

"We are requesting clarification regarding this decision and the return of films about the Palestinian people that Netflix removed last week. We are concerned that the removal of the Palestinian film collection will further silence their voices at a time when more than two million Palestinians in Gaza are being targeted by Israeli military violence," said the human rights activists.

3. Freedom Forward's Appeal to Netflix

In response to the activists' rejection, Sunjeev Bery, executive director of Freedom Forward, also urged and voiced his concern regarding the end of the licensing agreement that featured 19 Palestinian films.

"Why hasn’t Netflix extended its licensing agreement to showcase these Palestinian films? With a company valuation of 300 billion dollars, Netflix should be able to continue airing the stories of the suffering experienced by the Palestinian people and should strive to share their narratives with the world. However, the reality is that almost the entire collection of Palestinian films on its platform has vanished," Bery stated.

Don't miss the latest news updates from KapanLagi! If not now, when?

(kpl/nol)