Annie Lennox, Jonathan Glazer, Tilda Swinton, Joaquin Phoenix
Fraser Harrison/Getty Images; John Phillips/Getty Images; Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images; Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Cinema for Gaza, an organization started by a small group of female filmmakers and film journalists, has successfully raised more than $315,000 to support medical aid for civilians in Gaza.
Organized by Cinema for Gaza and supported by Tilda Swinton, Annie Lennox, Joaquin Phoenix, Spike Lee and Guillermo del Toro, the celebrity auction will raise money for British Palestinian Medical Assistance (MAP). Approximately $316,778 (£254,297) was raised. A charity that provides on-the-ground medical support to people in the Gaza Strip, from sterile water to cancer drugs. Celebrities donate personal items, from autographed movie posters to personal Zoom chats to, in Lennox's case, handwritten lyrics to the Eurythmics' hit “Sweet Dreams,” to the highest bidder. Sold away. (Lennox's lyric card was the best-selling item, with bidders paying her $26,222 for the piece in pop music history).
zone of interest Film director Jonathan Glaser, who mentioned the Gaza conflict in his 2024 Oscar acceptance speech, has offered to donate seven movie posters signed by him. zone Composer Micah Levi and producer James Wilson and a selection of his 2014 feature-length posters subcutaneously, to raise funds for MAP charities. Glaser's speech galvanized Hollywood, drawing praise from those calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and harsh criticism from some pro-Israel and Jewish leaders in Hollywood. His donation to Cinema of Gaza Auction raised $13,702.
The online auction began on April 2nd and ended just before midnight on Friday, April 12th UK time. The final total price of the auction may be slightly higher than the number recorded after its official close.
“We thought maybe we could raise 20,000 pounds ($25,000),” said film industry friends Hannah Farr, Julia Jackman, Leila Latif and Sophie Monks Kaufman. , says Hannah Flint, a London-based film journalist and critic. Helen Simmons, months after the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7th.
“We are a very diverse group of women, we have women of color, we have Jewish women, we have Muslim women, we have Christians, we have atheists. We're coming together because we need to do something concrete to demonstrate the ongoing humanitarian crisis. [in Gaza]” says Flint. “We truly believe that film can be a powerful tool, a political tool, to talk about the world and reflect and engage with what's going on, and we thought there was a better way. [to get] For people in our industry to come together [and] We come together and try to help those who are not doing well. ”
What started out as a very British affair – the first group of celebrity donors ranged from directors Ken Loach, Mike Leigh, Asif Kapadia and Joanna Hogg to actors Brian Cox, Harris Dickinson and Alison.・Everyone up to Oliver was British – quickly spread around the world. Ramy Youssef donated tickets not only to his live shows, but also to after-parties and meet-and-greets with comedians. poor thing actor.Oscar winner Phoenix donates signed artwork joker Poster. Del Toro contributed six signed books. Lee appeared with a framed poster signed by her. Malcolm X.
“The diversity of our donors was amazing, from people working on Marvel movies to the latest British filmmakers to people from all over the world,” Farr said. “There were moments where I couldn't believe everything was happening, like when Susan Sarandon contacted me in my DMs. rocky horror show T-shirt and one-on-one Zoom chat).
“We did not expect such a talented group of celebrities to come together,” said Zahra Yassin, community and challenge events manager for Medical Aid for Palestinians, who coordinated the auction with Cinema for Gaza. he says. “Honestly, it's very heartwarming to see how many people not only care, but actually want to get involved and contribute.To be honest, in terms of the amount of money raised, The amount was unbelievable.”
Yassin said all funds raised will go directly to MAP's emergency response efforts in Gaza. The organization is the only NGO currently operating in northern Gaza under dire and dangerous conditions.
“It’s been a really tough, tough six months,” she says. “We are concerned about our colleagues. [in Gaza] every day. It's an incredibly dangerous place.”
Director Flynt said in the aftermath of the October 7 attack on Israel and the start of Israel's military operation in Gaza, there was a “fear of speaking out” in the film industry to criticize the bombing of Gaza or show solidarity with the Palestinians. He says he noticed this. people. “But when I saw people like Tilda Swinton and Brian Cox and Rami Youssef, it suddenly became okay,” she says. “Sometimes we need a collective voice like this to give people the courage to say, ‘I want to stand up and help.’”
Farr said the response to the auction was “overwhelmingly positive” and there were only a few online snipes. “These are the kind of comments you would get if you posted about this issue in some context,” she says. “And I got a lot of emails from journalists who have been on my press list for years saying how great you all are and how happy they are for you.”
“We're trying to take the politics out of this issue of who started the war and who's to blame,” Flint added. “This is about the fact that the infrastructure exists.” [in Gaza] It was thinned out. Medical care is required. We're trying to save people's lives. And I don't think you can criticize that. ”
Cinema for Gaza will continue its fundraising efforts. They will be selling Cinema for Gaza T-shirts designed by Henry James Garrett and will be holding a raffle over the weekend for donated celebrity items that were not included in the original auction. is. Anyone who donates £10 (or more) to MAP will have the chance to win the 'Ultimate Film Basket for Gaza' including: you weren't really here Signed by Lynn Ramsey, Phoenix, Jim Wilson.signed limited edition 4 lions Kayvan Novak poster. and a one-on-one Zoom session with Ramsay.
