**Belgian Film Festival Accused of Promoting Authoritarian Regime**
A group of artists, political scientists, and university professors have written an open letter to the Belgian film festival DOCVILLE. They are concerned about a film that will be screened at the festival, called “Not In My Country“. This documentary claims to show how the Serbian population feels about lithium mining in the Jadar Valley.
**Protests Against Lithium Mining**
The letter says that the screening of this film coincides with massive peaceful student-led protests against Serbia’s authoritarian regime. The protesters are demanding corruption-free democratic rule and accountability from the state. The film, however, seems to be ignoring these protests and instead promotes the interests of a mining corporation.
**Advancing Corporate Interests**
The signatories of the letter accuse the filmmakers of advancing corporate interests by presenting a one-sided view of the lithium mining project. They say that the film downplays the mass opposition from citizens, scientists, and environmental organizations.
**Reproducing Colonial Tropes**
The letter also criticizes the film for reproducing colonial tropes. The filmmakers present Serbian citizens who speak out against Rio Tinto and their government as uneducated and uninformed “peasants” and pro-Putin conspiracy theorists.
**Risk of Losing Legitimacy**
The signatories urge all those involved in the creation and distribution of the film to take responsibility for promoting corporate interests over democratic values. They warn that if we allow this influence to grow unchecked, we risk losing the legitimacy of platforms like DOCVILLE.
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