More, and More on Moore

It's been a bit quiet around here lately - pneumonia will do that to you. Mind you, I haven't been particularly unwell, but my energy levels have been a bit low and getting eight hours' sleep each night has been more important than posting every couple of days.

There's actually been a heap of things I've wanted to post about, including events that have come and gone (Russian Resurrection Film Festival), events that are happening now (Three Blind Mice, Israeli Film Festival, Melbourne Writers Festival, Anna May Wong on Film) and upcoming events (Greek Film Festival, Stone Bros.) and more.

Talking about more, via Lynden Barber's Eyes Wired Open, I found this Guardian article by Richard Moore on the Loach-MIFF controversy, which makes for a good read. I whole-heartedly support Richard Moore's position. In the article, he states:

Everyone has been given a royal dispensation from Loach to commit war crimes bar the Israelis. Far be it for me to act as an apologist for Israel but the logical extension of Loach's position is absurd. Aside from ignoring the fact that film festivals fulfil an important role in allowing filmmakers to circumvent national censors, is he saying we can continue to programme films from North Korea, from Iran, from China – but we must boycott Israel? On a moral relativity scale does that mean that Iran's treatment of women is acceptable? Should we keep quiet about how North Korea treats its citizens? Loach disagreed with George Bush's approach to foreign policy; so was it OK to programme American films during the Bush era?

Loach's demands were beyond the pale. As a supporter of independent film and filmmaking he should be ashamed of himself.

This argument is similar to one I posted myself and I agree that Loach should be ashamed. I also agree with Lynden Barber's description of Moore as "something of a hero in the fight to keep festivals free of censorship."