"Amira", an Egyptian movie,
directed by Mohamed Diab, was produced this year (Co-production between Egypt,
Palestine and Jordan) deals with a sensitive issue, which is "sperm smuggling
from occupation prisons.” The events of the film revolve around a sperm that
was smuggled from the occupation prisons to the wife of a prisoner, so that the
wife gives birth to a child, who later discovers that she is the daughter of an
Israeli officer.
The film was shown on Sunday 5/12/2021 at the
opening of the 12th session of Karamah Human Rights Film Festival in
Amman, Jordan. The film was selected to represent the Jordanian Kingdom in the
Oscars, to compete in the International Feature Film category for the year of
2022, as announced by the Royal Film Commission of Jordan.
The Palestinian Association for Human
Rights (Witness) condemns the screening of the film for its direct abuse to the
prisoners and their efforts to attain their freedom and dignity because it
reflects an opposing picture of the reality, as the process of smuggling sperms
is considered to be a Palestinian achievement that hasn’t occurred throughout
the history; except in Palestine. By this process, the prisoners were able to
break the jailer’s injustice, creating hope that tended to be impossible.
Since the beginning of the year 2020,
(Witness) has been endeavoring diligently to prevent the publication of this
film. For this, the former communicated with those who are in direct charge of
the work and told them about the sensitivity and importance of the topic, and
the danger of presenting these offensive ideas to the prisoners and their
families in particular and to the Palestinian cause and the Palestinians in
general.
(Witness) considers that the film "Amira”
serves the occupation’s allegations and ignores the prisoners’ aspirations for
dignity and freedom. For this, the former calls on the Jordanian Ministry of
Culture, the Media Authority, The Royal Film Commission, The Artists Syndicate,
and Karama Film Festival Administration for Human Rights, to take serious
measures to stop the showing of this film and withdraw it from all platforms.
Beirut, 8/12/2021
Palestinian Association for Human Rights
(Witness)