CrossFireArabia
“She sold her home to help produce a film about Palestine”
We, as Palestinians and as people who believe in freedom and human rights, owe our gratitude and appreciation to the British actress Vanessa Redgrave, who stood with the Palestinian people at a time when the Palestinian narrative was largely absent or marginalized in much of the Western world, while the Israeli narrative dominated public discourse.
Vanessa Redgrave was not only an Academy Award-winning actress; she believed that fame should be used in the service of justice and human rights.
She sold her home to help finance the documentary The Palestinian (1977), co-produced it, and narrated it to bring the Palestinian story to Western audiences.
In 1978, after winning the Academy Award for Julia, she used the Oscar stage to respond to the intimidation and protests she faced because of her support for Palestinians, condemning what she described as “a small bunch of Zionist hoodlums.”
At a time when supporting Palestine came at a high personal and professional cost, Vanessa Redgrave chose courage over silence. For that, we remember her with deep gratitude and thank her for helping ensure that the voice of the Palestinian people was heard.
