ON THE CANCELLATION OF RULE OF STONE’S SCREENINGS
Updated on November 25th 2024

At RIDM, we strive to maintain transparency and integrity in our interactions with filmmakers, the public, and our partners. Danae Elon is an Israeli-Canadian filmmaker whose films have been accompanied by RIDM, and we recognize her personal commitment to criticizing and questioning the state of Israel.

Originally, our programming team was deeply moved by Rule of Stone, a film of remarkable quality that critically examines the colonialist project of East Jerusalem following its conquest by Israeli forces in 1967. However, the lack of certain information relating to some Israeli funding sources received during the development stage of the film project limited our ability to collaborate transparently with important partners, including members of the community actively supporting the Palestinian people. After consultations by RIDM with all concerned parties, the filmmaker has withdrawn her film from the programming of our 27th edition.

We understand the disappointment that the withdrawal of a film can cause. We are committed to preserving the unique character of our festival as a privileged space for meaningful exchange and dialogue, and we express our gratitude to our audience, our filmmaking community, as well as our partners for their continued trust and engagement. RIDM is resolved to learn from this experience and to revise our submissions procedures in order to better adhere to our mission and meet the needs of our community.

We are confident that this film will have the chance to reach a Montreal audience soon in a context other than RIDM, and we encourage you to follow distributor Filmoption International's networks to keep informed of future screenings.

Follow this link for a statement from filmmaker Danae Elon

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Synopsis :
Based in Montreal for several years, Danae Elon creates a very personal cinematic work to explore the complexity of her relationship with her native country, Israel. In The Rule of Stone, she questions the role and impact of a law dating from British colonialism requiring buildings in Jerusalem to be constructed using stone extracted from the land. She draws on revealing archives and interviews—notably with architect Moshe Safdie—to critically look at the city’s development project following the Six-Day War and the Naksa in 1967. Highlighting the erasure of Palestinian history and the gradual exclusion of its people, this film reveals the contrasts and often invisible violence of its buildings and architecture. Narrated periodically by the filmmaker, this film is a sobering reflection on individual responsibility, the development of an ideological discourse, and the creation of a hegemonic history.

competition : Magnus Isacsson Competition

Rule of Stone - ANNULÉ