"Thank you too for including the story about Nabulsi seeing the young children in front of their destroyed house. Even for those who have not seen the film, I believe this does much to introduce readers to the lived reality for a people “whose voices have often been excluded and misrepresented” and perhaps lead them to question why mainstream media continue to do so."
September 15, 2023
To:
Farah.Syed, Managing Editor, News and Frontpage, Yahoo! Canada
Elisabetta Bianchini, News Editor, Yahoo! Canada News
Dear Ms Syed and Ms Bianchini,
I am writing on behalf of the Saskatoon Chapter of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, ( CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org ) to thank you for the article in Yahoo News on September 14, 2023 titled “TIFF 2023 ‘The Teacher’ : Farah Nabulsi ‘challenges stereotypes’ in Palestinian drama.”
I was especially pleased to see the many direct quotes from the filmmaker, giving readers true insight into the filmmaker’s reasons for shooting the film in Palestine, with reality “unfurling ... in real time”.
Including quotes such as the “imbalance in value for human life”, and
“Palestinians who have experienced firsthand much of the cruel and absurd and terrible things ...[that] take place in the film” may lead to more Canadians looking beyond the stereotype of ‘terrorists’ that, in my experience, Canadians associate with Palestinians.
On the subject of challenging stereotypes, you write “ Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian militant.”
Nabulsi herself referred to ‘freedom fighters’ rather than ‘militants’ in her own comments at the TIFF première. In international law, an occupied people has the right [1] to resist, including by armed force, against the occupying army.
In future reporting the use of 'resistance fighters' or 'freedom fighters' instead of 'militants' would help to lessen stereotyping of Palestianians.
Thank you too for including the story about Nabulsi seeing the young children in front of their destroyed house. Even for those who have not seen the film, I believe this does much to introduce readers to the lived reality for a people “whose voices have often been excluded and misrepresented” and perhaps lead them to question why mainstream media continue to do so.
CJPME National has posted on the promotion of the film and their attendance at its première on several social media platforms.
Regards,
Renée Nunan-Rappard
CJPME Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan .
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