The Grierson Trust, a charity that celebrates documentary and factual filmmaking, has made the decision to remove Oscar-winning British filmmaker Asif Kapadia as a patron due to social media posts deemed “antisemitic.”
Kapadia, known for his acclaimed documentaries on figures like Amy Winehouse, Diego Maradona, and Ayrton Senna, issued an apology, expressing his regret for the hurt caused by his posts. The charity stated that they were not aware of these posts when appointing Kapadia as a patron just two days prior.
In a statement, the Grierson Trust acknowledged the oversight in their due diligence and emphasized their commitment to promoting freedom of speech and diversity within the industry. However, they made it clear that racist statements or behavior cannot be justified.
Screenshots of the controversial posts have circulated on social media, prompting Kapadia to delete his account. He expressed his remorse for the offense caused and clarified that his intention was not to spread antisemitic views.
The charity concluded by reaffirming their zero-tolerance policy towards racism of all kinds. Kapadia, in his response to the decision, reiterated his condemnation of antisemitism and apologized for the ill-judged reposts made without proper consideration.
