Glastonbury has dropped plans to show a “hateful” film about former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Organisers at the festival reiterated that it stands “against all forms of discrimination” after it was revealed that they had cancelled a “conspiracy theory” film about the politician.
Titled Oh, Jeremy Corbyn: The Big Lie, the film was produced by Platform Films and originally set to be shown at the festival’s Pilton Palais cinema on Sunday (July 25). However, debate over whether the film should be broadcast or not arose when the Board of Deputies of British Jews (BDBJ) expressed “deep concern” over the content, and described it as “the banned Corbyn documentary”.
Now, the festival has confirmed that while it believed that the film had been booked “in good faith”, it has been deemed inappropriate, and will no longer be broadcast at the event.
“Although we believe that the Pilton Palais booked this film in good faith, in the hope of provoking political debate, it’s become clear that it is not appropriate for us to screen it at the festival,” read the statement (via ITV news).
“Glastonbury is about unity and not division, and we stand against all forms of discrimination.”
The response follows the comments made by the president of Jewish communal organisation the Board of Deputies, Marie van der Zyl, who claimed that it would be “profoundly sinister” to have shown the film at the iconic festival.
“This film, we understand, seeks to suggest that organisations such as the Board of Deputies of British Jews, of which I am the president, somehow helped to ‘orchestrate’ Jeremy Corbyn’s downfall as Labour Party leader,” she wrote in a letter to Glastonbury organisers Michael and Emily Eavis.
“Your festival is one of the most successful festivals in the UK. It seems profoundly sinister for it to be providing a platform to a film which clearly seeks to indoctrinate people into believing a conspiracy theory effectively aimed at Jewish organisations.”
Following confirmation that the film would no longer be shown, the BDBJ later shared its relief at the overturned decision. “We are pleased that in the wake of a letter we sent earlier today, Glastonbury have announced the cancellation of the screening of this film. Hateful conspiracy theories should have no place in our society,” the organisation wrote on Twitter.
We are pleased that in the wake of a letter we sent earlier today, @glastonbury have announced the cancellation of the screening of this film. Hateful conspiracy theories should have no place in our society. https://t.co/YkjB8cAy3Q pic.twitter.com/LnZ0HMFnsy
— Board of Deputies of British Jews (@BoardofDeputies) June 19, 2023
This isn’t the first time that the former Labour leader has made headlines in relation to the Worthy Farm festival. Back in 2017, it was reported that the politician gathered one of the biggest crowds in Glastonbury history as he delivered a speech at the Pyramid Stage.
Lasting 20 minutes, hundreds of thousands of punters gathered to hear his words, in which he addressed issues such as sexism, racism, homophobia and poverty.
“Let’s stop the denigration of refugees, people looking for a place of safety in a cruel and dangerous world,” he said at the time. “They are all human beings just like us here today. They’re looking for a place of safety and looking to make their contribution to the future of all of us, so let’s support them in their hour of need… Let’s look to build a world of human rights, peace, justice and democracy all over the planet.
“This wonderful festival and all of its stages and music gives that chance […] to so many young musicians, that they may achieve and inspire us all. And I’m proud to be here for that. I’m proud to be here to support the peace movement here and the way that message gets across. But I’m also very proud to be here for the environmental causes that go with it.”
The response led to a mostly-positive response from festival-goers, who took to social media to share their thoughts on the speech. “The Glastonbury crowd’s reaction to Jeremy Corbyn’s speech gives me hope for the future,” one wrote, while another agreed: “Listen to that crowd for #Corbyn. We won’t have a leader like this again.”
The former Labour leader also spoke to NME at the event, and revealed the one politician he thought would have been able to also resonate with people at the festival.
“I’ve obviously known a large number of political leaders over the years, and many were very emotional and very capable in what they put forward,” he began.
“I think one of the great orators of all time was actually Tony Benn who could always encapsulate a complicated, historical narrative with a very simple way of presenting it. [You have to] take what can be presented as complicated issues, simplify them in an understandable way, but above all empower people. What Tony did was always empower people.”
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