Melbourne International Film Festival - Rebiya Kadeer Film Controversy

Rebiya Kadeer Film Controversy

During the 58th festival in 2009, the controversial film The 10 Conditions of Love (2009), which documents the life of the exiled Uyghur leader Rebiya Kadeer, was screened despite many attempts by the Government of China (which labels her a terrorist) to have the film withdrawn from the festival.

Chinese filmmakers withdrew their films from the festival two days before it opened on 24 July. Former MIFF director Richard Moore refused to pull the film from the festival program, despite the festival website and its online ticketing system being hacked from an IP address of Chinese origin. The festival website was hacked soon after the launch of its program for 2009, with information replaced with the Chinese flag and anti-Kadeer slogans. Victoria Police was placed on alert during the screening of the film, and Pro-Uighur demonstrators also gathered outside the Melbourne Town Hall.

The Dalai Lama also sent a message of support via, Member of the Parliament of Australia for Melbourne Ports, Michael Danby:

asked me to convey to you, in Melbourne, that is another one of the national leaders who is a paradigm of non-violence... He wanted to make it very clear to people that the claims of this woman being a violent person or instigating violence, is from his point of view, and with all of his authority, wrong.

— Michael Danby (quoting a letter form the Dalai Lama).

The Government of China attempted to have the film withdrawn from the festival, going to the extent of contacting, Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Robert Doyle. Doyle, however, refused to intervene. Australia's Ambassador to China Geoff Raby was summoned by China's Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun to express displeasure about Kadeer's attendance at MIFF.