Moscow International film festival defies SL request on Black Tiger documentary

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 June 2008, 10:30 GMT]
The world-renowned Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF), despite being approached by the Russian Foreign Ministry, which was under pressure from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Russia, turned down the Sri Lankan request not to feature a documentary film on Black Tigers in the film festival. The MIFF screened Monday 'My Daughter The Terrorist,' the award winning documentary on Black Tigers by Director Beate Arnestad from Norway.

The argument put forward by the [Sri Lankans] that the documentary promoted terrorism was dismissed as baseless, reported the NRK, the Norwegian Broadcasting Cooperation, on Tuesday, citing a MIFF official, Grigorij Libergal.

"They were confused on what promotes terrorism and what was analysis of terrorism," Mr. Libergal was quoted as saying.

The documentary was featured under "Free Thought," documentary cinema programme at the MIFF.

Morten Dae, the producer of the documentary earlier received death threats after the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) failed in blocking the organisors from screening the film at the Full Frame Documentary Festival, in Durham in the United States, according to a report in Dagsavisen, a Norwegian daily, in Apriil 2008.

The MIFF, which celebrates 30th anniversary this year, is held under support of the Russian Ministry of culture and mass communications, and the Federal Agency on culture and cinematography. It is the second oldest film festival in the world and is recognised by the International Federation of Film Producers associations (FIAPF) as an "A" class festival.

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