Jarmusch at Venice: “I Was Disappointed by Father Mother Sister Brother Distributor’s Collaboration with Israel”
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Jim Jarmusch said at the press conference for Father Mother Sister Brother at the Venice Film Festival that he was “disappointed” by distributor MUBI’s collaboration with Israel, though he added that all corporate investments are “dirty.”
It was previously reported that Israeli company Sequoia Capital is investing $100 million in MUBI. Sequoia is one of the backers of the startup Kela, founded in July 2024 by four former Israeli intelligence officers. Kela is currently helping the Israeli military develop an AI-based operating system. Filmmakers such as Aki Kaurismäki (Fallen Leaves) and Radu Jude had condemned the collaboration.
Jarmusch said in Venice: “My relationship with MUBI predates this, and the collaboration with them on this film was excellent. I was disappointed and embarrassed by this [MUBI-Sequoia] connection. If you want to talk about it, you should address MUBI. I’m not their spokesperson. Yes, I was concerned. On the other hand, I have a distribution deal with MUBI for [several films], and I had committed to it before their agreement with [Sequoia].”
He added: “I’m an independent filmmaker, and I’ve taken money from various sources to finance my films. All corporate money is dirty. If you investigate any film company and its investment structure, you’ll find a lot of dirt. You can avoid it, but then you can’t make films. What I have to say comes through cinema. I’m concerned, but I don’t want the responsibility of explaining to be placed on us as artists. It’s not our role.”
In a letter from filmmakers opposing MUBI, they wrote: “We believe an arthouse cinema platform cannot offer meaningful support to the global cinephile community while simultaneously collaborating with a company that is killing Palestinian artists and filmmakers.”
India Moore, one of the film’s actors, noted that there is a hidden battle for resources behind the scenes in Hollywood, and artists are trying to find an “ethical” way to survive.
Father Mother Sister Brother tells three separate stories about relationships between adult children and their parents. The “Father” segment takes place in the northeastern United States, “Mother” is set in Ireland, and “Sister Brother” unfolds in Paris. The cast includes Adam Driver, Cate Blanchett, Tom Waits, Mayim Bialik, Charlotte Rampling, India Moore, and Luke Sabat.
Jarmusch, speaking in another part of the press conference held without Adam Driver, explained his unique choice of cities: “Dublin was important because Charlotte’s character is a writer, and Ireland is very welcoming. Writers don’t pay taxes there; writers are celebrated. Paris is the second place in my life that I deeply love. It’s very dear to me.”
On filming in the Garden State, he said: “I had to find a location within 30 miles of New York City due to union rules, otherwise my budget would have exploded. This spot is 29.5 miles from New York.”
When asked where the idea for the film came from, Jarmusch replied: “I honestly don’t know. Usually, I develop ideas for a year or more, sometimes several years, before finally writing them quickly. This film I wrote in three weeks.”
MUBI will release Father Mother Sister Brother in the United States on December 24.
