Advocacy, Artistic Freedom, FERA Statement, News
FERA stands with Directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor in defence of freedom of expression
14 September 2026
Following the recognition of NAZA at the Venice Film Festival and the subsequent threats by Israel’s Culture Minister to revoke the citizenship of its directors, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the Federation of European Screen Directors (FERA) stands firmly with the filmmakers and with their right to create, question and speak freely.
The Special Jury Prize awarded to NAZA is a recognition of the filmmakers’ work and of the power of documentary cinema to bring difficult realities into public view. The subsequent calls to strip its directors of their citizenship because of the film and their political expression are deeply alarming.
As representatives of screen directors across Europe, we see this as a serious warning about the relationship between political power, culture and freedom of expression.
Film, like all art, must remain free to question, challenge and confront—even when its message is uncomfortable, controversial or politically unwelcome. Documentary filmmaking in particular has a vital role in making realities visible, questioning power and contributing to public debate. This freedom is not reserved for views that are convenient or agreeable to those in power.
FERA believes that standing with Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor means defending a fundamental democratic principle: filmmakers must be free to create and express critical views without facing political retaliation or threats to their rights and status.
The strength of a democracy is not measured by its ability to silence dissent, but by its capacity to tolerate it. Cultural institutions and political decision-makers should protect the conditions for independent artistic expression—not undermine them.
FERA stands with Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, and with all filmmakers who use their work to question, document and challenge the world around them. Artistic freedom must not become conditional on political approval.
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