Tiger Talk: Cinema and the Rise of Authoritarianism

As filmmakers across the world grapple with incursions on their freedoms, creative, political, financial or otherwise, this discussion invites those with first-hand experience to consider how we can continue to work under these conditions – and how doing so is a poignant act of resilience in times of repression.

Presented in collaboration with the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk, of which IFFR is a founding member, the panel will survey creativity under both authoritarian regimes and democracies which are known to have intervened in the decision-making process and the production, presentation and distribution of films. It will consider not only the suppression of voices and works of art, but also how specific success stories have been weaponized against filmmakers. How can we continue to produce work without censoring ourselves or risk being censored, or worse?

Taking a wider perspective across several continents and individual experiences, we will hear from filmmakers about recent political developments in their respective countries, while also discussing the different shapes and forms which government pressure can take.

This Tiger Talk is also presented in IFFR Pro’s programme of Pro Dialogues, a series of discussions addressing urgent matters for professionals working in the film industry.

With filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof (The Seed of the Sacred Fig), director and producer Albertina Carri (¡Caigan las rosas blancas!), actor and producer Pier Giorgio Bellocchio (U.S. Palmese) and Fırat Yücel (Seen Unseen: An Anthology Of (Auto)Censorship).

It was communicated originally that Erhan Örs, one of the filmmakers of the collective film Seen Unseen: An Anthology Of (Auto)Censorship, would join the panel. However, he has now been denied a visa to travel to Rotterdam, unexpectedly and for unclear reasons – only underlining the relevance of this panel’s topic. Fellow Seen Unseen filmmaker Fırat Yücel will join the panel in his place, and Örs will contribute to the conversation with a video sent from Turkey.