Jim Jarmusch‘s 14th feature, “Father Mother Sister Brother,” brought the “Down by Law” and “Paterson” director to the Venice Film Festival for only the second time — and inevitably into the controversy surrounding the film’s distributor, MUBI.
MUBI, which releases the Venice competition premiere in theaters December 24, is facing external and internal backlash due to MUBI investor Sequoia’s ties to the Israeli defense industry. The streamer and distributor accepted a $100 million investment from a company that also backs Kela, a defense startup founded in 2024 by Israeli intelligence veterans after the October 7 terrorist attacks. A list of signatory filmmakers and a letter from MUBI staffers have called upon the company to drop the investor. MUBI CEO Efe Cakarel released a statement earlier this month claiming that the company’s relationship with the venture capital firm is not involved in funding the war in Gaza.
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Jarmusch was asked during the “Father Mother Sister Brother” press conference by Screen International’s Ben Dalton whether he had spoken to the distributor about its funding structure, which has thrown a wave of negative press attention at MUBI all summer.
“Yes, I have spoken to MUBI about it, and I have a very good relationship particularly with [MUBI CCO] Jason Ropell at MUBI who called me immediately. He had not been made aware when this relationship was made,” Jarmusch said. “My relationship with MUBI started much before that, and they were fantastic to work with on this film. I was of course disappointed and quite disconcerted by this relationship. Really, if you want to discuss it, you have to address MUBI about it. I’m not the spokesman. However, yes, I was concerned.”
He added, “I also have a distribution agreement with MUBI in certain territories which I had entered in before my knowledge of this. Having said that, on a personal level, I have to say I am an independent filmmaker and I have taken money from various sources to be able to realize my films. I consider pretty much all corporate money is dirty money, and if you start analyzing each of these film companies and their financing structures, you’re going to find a lot of nasty dirt. It’s all there. We could avoid it and not make films at all, but the films are how I choose to carry things I would like to say. I’m concerned, but one thing I don’t like — and you have not done this — is putting the onus of the explanation of this on us, the artists. It’s not us; it’s MUBI you must address. And not just MUBI, but other companies as well.”
At the press conference also were members of “Father Mother Sister Brother’s” ensemble cast, including Cate Blanchett, Charlotte Rampling, and Vicky Krieps. Co-star Indya Moore, who has been a vocal supporter of Palestine and was arrested at a 2023 New York City protest demanding a ceasefire, also spoke up to answer the question.
“Since the genocide of Palestinians began, there has been an incredible amount of creative warfare and resource warfare behind the scenes,” she said. “The issue with the way people are trying to figure out how we are going to work at a capacity that is ethical and not enabling a systematic pipeline that funds these kinds of things to happen to people… a kind of due diligence that people are learning how to do is a developing process. These are not questions we’ve ever had to ask before, especially as independent artists. We’re all trying to figure out how to navigate this and survive. One thing is for sure: If you were to ask me, Indya, why did you work here or work there when this person is there or that entity is behind this thing? Most likely, I didn’t know.”
Earlier this month, in response to the backlash, Cakarel said MUBI would install an “Ethical Funding and Investment Policy” to establish future criteria for funding partners, as well as an advisory council of arts to help inform the policy.
Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza has been a major focus of the Venice Film Festival already. A march of thousands, calling for an end to the war, descended down the Venice Lido Saturday afternoon toward the festival grounds. Last week, “Free Palestine” protests were held outside the Biennale headquarters, calling for the festival to take a public stance on the war. Ahead of the festival, filmmakers including Marco Bellocchio, Matteo Garrone, and Alice Rohrwacher launched an appeal for organizers to take a pro-Palestinian stance.
