When was the last time art was free from politics?
Never.
You see, art and politics are so deeply intertwined that they can’t really survive without each other. Slogans are a form of art and what is politics without them?
Art has always represented the politics of ideologies. What is Hamlet without the Renaissance art?
But, this intertwined nature is so twisted that some people question it. Look at the recent case.
Netflix is removing 32 Palestinian films. Films like Omar, Children of Shatila, and Farha will no longer be a part of Netflix’s content library.
Yes, these movies that represented the situation of Palestine are being removed from Netflix. But why?
The sympathisers of Palestine are saying that Netflix is under the pressure of powerful zionists who are forcing the platform to let go of the film. But that is such a naive way to look at the situation.
Netflix has issued a statement that aptly describes the removal of the films. You see, these movies are not Netflix original films. They were licensed movies that always come with a contract.
When Netflix bought these films in 2021, it was under a contract of three years that has now expired. Netflix is actually not supposed to stream these films. Had it been a zionist pressure then Netflix would have removed Palestine last year when the war started. Why do it after a year?
So, there is no real politics in this situation at all. It is all business and law.