There’s an adage taught in journalism school that no story is worth dying for, but the popular through line amongst most artists Iknow is that your art is worth dying for.
When filmmaker and York prof John Greyson was jailed in Egypt on August 16, it was for his art; he was on his was on his way to Gaza to prep a film there. He was caught in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and it was, on some level, his responsibility as an artist to be there.
Greyson is a fairly controversial figure in Canada, known for his politicized, pro-LGBT films and his scathing critiques of Israeli policy. He spearheaded the 2009 boycott of the Toronto International Film Festival for highlighting Tel Aviv in its “City-to-City” spotlight. What happened in Egypt simply adds to his troubled, controversial history.
And we should admire him for it.
Regardless of what your beliefs are, no one can doubt Greyson’s integrity or his firm commitment to the things he believes in. Film producer Robert Lantos suggested that Greyson’s TIFF boycott was the case of “an opportunist eagerly leaping on the ‘Israel apartheid’ bandwagon in order to garner more attention for his film,” and nowhere could Lantos have been more wrong.
Oftentimes, we see artists and people of importance espousing sentiments that aren’t reflected in their actions, empty platitudes that mask a “look at me” attitude and a hefty sense of apathy. What separates Greyson from an artist who would simply speak out against issues is a willingness to put his life on the line for what he believes in.
An LGBT artist going to one of the most politically precarious places in the world so that he could go to a more precarious place simply for his art? For his message? That is the essence of sincerity through action.
“You don’t have to be an artist to appreciate the value in Greyson’s choices.“
This is a man engaging the responsibility of his voice, what he says and what he believes, knowing full well the potential consequences.
I’ve been guilty of cynicism in the past, much like the rest of us. I’ve often attacked the idea of protesting en masse as a dated and ineffectual way to get your point across. And then the Arab Spring happened, and Iwas proven wrong.
John Greyson understands the responsibility of art, a responsibility that says an artist must create meaning and discourse in the work he creates.
Maybe your art isn’t worth dying for. Maybe your values aren’t worth dying for. But they are worth taking risks for.
And they’re certainly worth going to prison for.
Abdul Malik
Arts Editor
