From Oscars to Occupation
Vanessa Redgrave's 47 year stand for Palestine
Vanessa Redgrave gave an infamous pro-Palestine speech at the 1978 Oscars - absolutely stunning with language unheard of in Hollywood at the time1.
She was receiving the award for her work as best supporting actress in a mainstream film but she had produced and appeared in a documentary about Palestine2. For her part in that pro-Israel lobbyists (the Jewish Defense League) had tried to have her Oscar nomination rescinded3.
During her speech she specifically called them out congratulating the academy for standing up to “a small bunch of zionist hoodlums”. She went on to say “….whose behavior is an insult to the stature of Jews all over the world and to their great and heroic record of struggle against fascism and oppression”.
She closed her speech with “I pledge to you that I will continue to fight against anti-Semitism and fascism. Thank you”.
Despite this a cinema premiering her film was firebombed4 and she notes that she lost multiple opportunities in Hollywood over subsequent years due to not just appearing in the Palestine documentary, but by calling it out in public and making the world aware of a word they may not have been aware of “Zionism” and clearly noting it was different from Judaism.
Seen by millions around the world. Never mind the attention for her film “The Palestinian” that had been in post-production at that time.
Her bravery, integrity and dignity were tremendous.
I wonder what Redgrave makes of today’s even tighter “Hollywood Lobby” the “Creative Community for Peace”? Cancelling film makers, producers, artists and most recently Roger Waters dropped from Sony plus cancellation of Kneecap and Bob Vylan’s American tours.
No need to resort to “Zionist hoodlum” firebombing when you can just cancel their bookings and distribution…
Click on article below for more on the CCFP5.
Activism Today
Redgrave was 41 years old at the Oscars then. Today she is 88 - yet still last weekend was still outside Lambeth Council in London, sitting in a wheelchair, hammering pots for Palestine.
A true legend. 🎥✊🇵🇸😊
Redgrave Speech (Oscars video)
Redgrave Post-Oscars Interview: Hammered by the Press
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📋 References
Academy Awards Acceptance Speech Database 3 April 1978 Vanessa Redgrave Oscars Acceptance Speech - https://aaspeechesdb.oscars.org/link/050-4/
The Palestinian 1977 directed by Roy Battersby, starring and produced by Vanessa Redgrave: IMDB entry - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076521/
The New York Times: Bruce Fretts, 11 Jan 2019 “Oscars Rewind: The Most Political Ceremony in Academy History“ - https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/movies/oscars-1978-politics-vanessa-redgrave.html
The New York Times: Altean Harmetz, 16 Jun 1978 “Theater for Redgrave Film Bombed“ - https://www.nytimes.com/1978/06/16/archives/threater-for-redgrave-film-bombed.html
Sleekit Scotsman “The Kid’s in the picture - if you sign this open letter: pro-Israeli influence across the arts and entertainment industry” first published April 13 2024 -
https://sleekitscotsman.substack.com/p/the-kids-in-the-picture-if-you-sign
Ah, there’s only one Contessa Vanessa!!