Diplomatic Relations Could Be Affected: Central Government Denies Permission for Six Films

Thiruvananthapuram: The Central Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has instructed that six films at the Kerala International Film Festival should not be screened as they could affect diplomatic relations. The films include All That’s Left of You, Clash, Yes, Flames, Eagles of the Republic, and A Poet. The ministry sent a letter to the state Chief Secretary stating that censor approval could not be granted for these films, describing the situation as extraordinary.

Meanwhile, films other than Clash (Egypt) and All That’s Left of You (Palestine) had already been screened in the previous days. Clash had previously been screened at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa in 2016, where it had also won the Golden Crow Award at the Kerala festival that year.

Before the festival began, the Central Government had denied screening permission for 19 films. Subsequently, 12 films were cleared for screening. These included Bamako, Beef, Heart of the Wolf, Red Rain, Battleship Potemkin, Palestine 36, Once Upon a Time in Gaza, Riverstone, The Hour of the Furnaces, Tunnels: Sun in the Dark, Timbuktu, and Wajib. Among these, Palestine 36 was the opening film of the festival.

Earlier, the Central Government had also refused permission for the film Santhosh to release in India. The initial denial of permission for the landmark film Battleship Potemkin, a milestone in world cinema, had shocked even regular filmmakers.