INTERVIEW- ’Silence is complicity’: Turkish filmmaker faces censorship for Gaza flotilla protest

“Silence is complicity of the genocide right now,” said Turkish filmmaker Necmi Sancak, stressing that using his voice for justice matters more than keeping quiet to protect his career.

Sancak, whose debut feature Ayse won awards at international film festivals, was preparing for the movie’s theatrical release in Türkiye.

A deal was signed, a date was fixed, and he was ready to share his work with audiences at home. But just days before its release, he says, the distribution company abruptly canceled the contract.

The reason: his decision to join the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian maritime mission organized by international activists to raise awareness of the blockade and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

“We already planned the release date in the theater. It was the 3rd of October,” he told Anadolu.

He said the company asked him about his political stance.

“I said I’m not political, I’m a movie maker, but I am a humanitarian activist too,” he recalled telling United International Pictures (UIP) before his departure.

“They told me they are an American company…and that it can be a problem for them,” he said.

Shortly after, he received an email confirming that the deal had been canceled. He said that as a reason, the email cited “joining a global activist protest,” which could create “a bad situation for our company,” and offered Sancak to discuss it again when he comes back.

“But I was holding my movie for two years. And we are going to discuss what?” Sancak said.

Sancak, a screenwriter and director whose work has been recognized both in Türkiye and abroad, said the experience left him shocked, but determined to speak out.

He remained silent at first, explaining: “I didn't want to get out of focus of the Sumud. But right now, I'm here, and I think I have to tell everyone this situation. Because if I'm going to keep silence, they're going to do this to keep the people silent.”

“And the silence is complicity of the genocide right now. That's why I'm not going to be silent,” Sancak said.

- From film sets to flotilla

The director’s first feature, Ayse, which explores the story of a strong Anatolian woman, had drawn attention at international festivals and won several awards.

His second film, Brussels, Here We Come -- a dark political comedy centered around a plane hijacking during an election in Türkiye -- is currently in post-production.

Sancak said his focus was initially on completing post-production for his second movie, but after applying to join the flotilla, he paused his work and traveled to Tunisia for pre-departure preparations. That’s when his distribution deal began to unravel.

- A global pattern of silencing

The cancellation, Sancak said, shocked colleagues — but didn’t entirely surprise them.

“We usually hear about the blacklist of the Zionist companies in our industry. That's why the people always try to be silent,” he said, adding that most filmmakers fear losing access to international funding or distribution.

He said to be able to work with those companies, “you have to be silent about this one. That's why they just felt sorry about that. Not supporting me.”

Though disappointed by the lack of support from friends in the industry, he said he understands their caution.

“I understand them, but they are not right,” Sancak said, acknowledging that their stance is understandable due to their financial dependence on the industry. “But I have the same situation. I'm not a rich guy. I'm an independent filmmaker. I can shoot my movies if I get the foundation from the European institutions,” he said.

Emphasizing the importance of speaking out, he said: “And that's why, of course, it's hard to be against them. But if you're not going to be, they're going to control everything. And they're not going to give us any space.”

Sancak said UIP’s affiliations with major American studios like Universal, Paramount and Disney were not fully clear to him when he entered talks. “I didn’t know they are the Zionists,” he said. “It’s a shame for me right now.”

- Artistic freedom under pressure

Sancak’s story is part of a growing trend in the global arts and entertainment industry where artists speaking out on Gaza or other geopolitical issues face blacklisting, dropped contracts, or silencing.

Similar concerns have been raised in Hollywood, where actors and filmmakers have reportedly lost opportunities for showing solidarity with Palestine. Others—such as actors Susan Sarandon and Melissa Barrera—have seen projects canceled or suspended following outspoken criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza.

“They're going to find another lie. They're going to find another way. They're always going to cut our voice. Because it's about the voice, not about us,” said Sancak.

“Don't be afraid,” he said. “If you're not going to be afraid, they're going to be scared. They're going to be scared. And they are right now, because we are crowded. And we are not silent anymore.”

On Sept. 8, 2025, more than 1,300 figures from the film industry — including Oscar, BAFTA, Emmy and Cannes award winners — launched a pledge declaring their refusal to work with Israeli film institutions “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.”

In a statement signed by hundreds of filmmakers, actors, film industry workers and institutions, the signatories said they recognize the power of cinema to shape perceptions and pledged not to work with Israeli film institutions.

- From musical dreams to resistance stories

Despite the setback, Sancak said he is not giving up on showing his work. If no distributor picks up Ayse, he’s prepared to bring the film directly to the public.

“I'm going to take my projector and the screen and go to all the streets, all the parking spots to show my movie. That's why we make our movies…to show the people,” he said.

Before joining the flotilla, Sancak had been developing an English-language musical set in Los Angeles. That project has now been shelved. He said he’s shifted focus to more politically conscious storytelling.

“When I was shooting my movie Brussels, Here We Come, I couldn't sleep anymore,” he said. “And that’s why I applied directly (to the flotilla) when I saw Greta (Thunberg) and Yasemin (Acar) share the information.”

Instead, he is now working on a new project, a film based on the real-life story of a Palestinian man who has resisted Israeli occupation for more than 20 years.

“If the children are dying, what's important after that? I don't care about the movies right now,” he said. “I'm making films because I'm telling what makes me peaceful. And right now, this makes me peaceful.”

The Israeli army has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023.

Months of air and ground assaults have left Gaza largely uninhabitable, pushing its population into famine.

- The protest lens

Sancak underscored that his main reason for joining the flotilla was straightforward: “I'm human. That's simple.”

“I don't need any ideology, any belief, any religion to act to stop this genocide. I'm human. I have feelings,” he added.

That is also why he is now committed to telling stories that matter.

“Now I care because my career will give me more voice. And in this one, if it happens, I'm going to keep talking about Gaza, about the Congo, about Yemen, about Sudan.

“That's why I want to keep writing, keep directing, and keep producing my movies to be their voice by my voice.”