#cultural-boycott

#cultural-boycott

Flanders Festival Ghent announced it had cancelled a concert by the Munich Philharmonic scheduled for 18 September, citing insufficient clarity over Lahav Shani's attitude to the Israeli government. Shani, who is the music director of the Israel Philharmonic, was expected to lead the concert even though he does not officially take up his role as chief conductor of the German orchestra until next year.

Festival organizers late on Wednesday announced that the Munich Philharmonic would no longer perform on September 18 as planned, saying they were concerned about conductor Lahav Shani's attitude to the Israeli government. Shani, who is to officially take over as conductor of the orchestra for the 2026/27 season, currently serves as music director of the Israel Philharmonic. In a statement, the organizers said they were "unable to provide sufficient clarity about his attitude" towards the Israeli government, which is currently waging a war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, triggering a humanitarian crisis in the territory.

The documentary reveals the internal struggle of a Palestinian man after signing a petition supporting a cultural boycott of Israel, prompting feelings of self-doubt and anxiety.