Oscars 2024: Hollywood’s Silence On Gaza Will Likely Continue

At the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Feb. 25, a group of protesters interrupted the show by playing a series of prerecorded chants on a megaphone, including “free Palestine,” “long live Palestine” and “cease-fire now.”

Inside the annual ceremony honoring independent filmmakers, held in a beachfront tent in Santa Monica, California, a handful of award winners used their time on the stage to mention the protesters.

“There are people speaking outside, and whatever they’re saying, I think it’s far more important than what I’m about to say,” director Babak Jalali said while accepting the John Cassavetes Award for the film “Fremont,” as the chants could be heard in the distance. “I’m so inspired by what they’re saying outside, I can’t think of what I’m about to say.”

Accepting the Robert Altman Award, “Showing Up” director Kelly Reichardt recalled the last time she saw the award’s namesake, the late director Robert Altman, in 2003.

“America was dropping bombs on Iraq at that time, and he was pissed,” she said. “And I think he’d have a lot to say — just this weirdness of us being here and celebrating each other and our work, and also, you know, life goes on outside the tent. Peace.”

They, along with certain others, have been the exceptions to the rule of remaining mostly silent on the war in Gaza during this year’s film awards season — a silence that will likely continue at Sunday night’s Academy Awards.

Unfortunately, it has been unsurprising to see very few stars and filmmakers directly speak out about Gaza on Hollywood’s biggest stages. People across many industries, including entertainment, have faced career consequences for calling for a cease-fire or expressing support for Palestinians.

Still, the relative silence has been jarring in several ways. As here