Netflix is being criticized over claims that the streamer removed a collection of Palestinian films from its catalog. A group of human rights organizations have called the OTT giant out, stating that 19 films from a collection called ‘Palestinian Stories’ were taken off the platform in mid-October.
The streamer has issued a clarification on the matter, revealing that the movies were acquired with a three-year license deal, which is expiring this month. The films will be leaving the platform as the deal has not been renewed.
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Freedom Forward, a San Francisco-based human rights organization, has written an open letter to Netflix to reinstate the deleted movies which include Salt of this Sea (2008), Divine Intervention (2002), and 3000 Nights (2015).
Human rights organizations call out Netflix over allegations of removing Palestinian films
Freedom Forward, along with over 35 other human rights groups, wrote an open letter to Netflix on October 24, stating that the streamer had removed almost the entire library of Palestinian films and only one film from the ‘Palestinian Stories’ collection was left to stream on the platform. The letter read:
“We are deeply concerned by Netflix’s decision to delete at least 19 films by Palestinian filmmakers or about Palestinian stories from your platform last week — on October 13th and October 14th.”
It further read:
“In the U.S., the ‘Palestinian Stories’ Netflix page now shows only one film that is available for viewing. Netflix has deleted almost all of its Palestinian films and has failed to explain why, despite a global outcry from thousands of people via social media.”
The letter noted that the deletion of the films will suppress the voices of Palestinian people amid Israel’s military operation in Gaza. ‘Palestinian Stories’ is a compilation of 32 Palestinian films that was launched in October 2021. Freedom Forward highlighted that the movies delved into the Palestinian experience by exploring people’s lives, families, and dreams.
The streaming platform clarifies that the films are being removed due to the end of the license deal
While films from ‘Palestinian Stories’ are being withdrawn from Netflix, other films by Palestinian directors and creators continue to stream on the platform. The collection was acquired by the streamer from Front Row Filmed Entertainment, a Dubai-based company in 2021.
Following the open letter by Freedom Forward, the streamer released a statement, revealing that it bought the streaming rights through a licensing deal that was valid for three years and is ending in October 2024. The statement read:
“We launched this licensed collection of films in 2021 for three years. Those licenses have now expired. As always we continue to invest in a wide variety of quality films and TV shows to meet our members’ needs, and celebrate voices from around the world.”
Licensing deals are fairly common in the film and television world and affect the availability of content on a platform. The concerned movie or television series has to be removed from the platform once the deal ends.
For example, while the popular sitcom Friends streamed on Netflix in the US for years, it was pulled from the streamer in 2019 due to the expiration of the license deal.
However, Freedom Forward is not convinced by the clarification and reaffirmed that the platform should have renewed the deal. Sunjeev Bery, the Executive Director of Freedom Forward, said in a statement:
“Netflix is a 300 billion dollar company that can afford to renew the licenses for the movies and films that it cares about. Palestinians are experiencing extraordinary suffering, and Netflix should be doing everything it can to share Palestinian stories with the world.”
Currently, only one documentary film from the ‘Palestinian Stories’ collection, Lina Al Abed’s Ibrahim A Fate to Define (2019), is available on Netflix in the US.
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