Organizers of the London Film Festival have pulled out of screening a documentary about far-right activity and funding in Britain and beyond due to “risks to safety and well-being”.
The documentary – “Undercover: Exposing the Far Right” – investigates far-right figures in the UK and Europe, as well as funding from the United States, using an undercover reporter and hidden cameras. The film was due to be screened at the festival in the British capital at the weekend and broadcast on Britain’s Channel 4 on Monday night.
The production comes just months after anti-immigrant riots erupted in parts of Britain, which officials blame on far-right agitators for inciting and igniting. The documentary follows the campaigns of the anti-extremism charity Hope not Hate, which investigates the far right in Britain and the money behind how “prejudice” is spread online.
Comments after the screening has stopped
“After exploring all possible options for screening this film at a public film festival, we have made the decision not to present UNDERCOVER: Exposing the Far Right at LFF,” said festival director Christy Matheson, who called the film “exceptional and one of the – the best documentaries I’ve seen this year”.
“However, festival workers have a right to feel safe and have their mental health and wellbeing respected in the workplace. I have taken into account the expert opinion of colleagues about the safety and welfare risks that the screening could have created for the audience and crew, and it served as the basis for our decision, which we did not take lightly,” she added.
Director Havana Marking expressed his disappointment at the London Film Festival’s decision. “I understand the fear that people feel, but I am very disappointed that an alternative method of screening was not found. It is becoming increasingly difficult to make films like this and the loss of this audience is upsetting,” she noted.
