Singaporean filmmaker makes a case against Israeli oppression of Palestine
The Statesman | 12 November 2025
Jason Soo, a Singaporean independent filmmaker who documented an attempted voyage to Gaza in 2018 with several other activists, called for collective action from the people of the world against the Israeli oppression on Palestine. His film, Al Awda is a first-hand account of Flotilla in 2018 and a part of the 31 Kolkata International Film Festival, competing in the NETPAC Asian Select Award category.
Soo, an eminent filmmaker, was on board with some activists who headed to Gaza in 2018 on a Norwegian boat named Al Awda. During the voyage that lasted about seven days, Soo documented the entire journey in his camera which was later taken away by the Israeli military. The group activists from various parts of the world also included a doctor from Singapore who was known to Soo.
The boat, on reaching about 20 kilometres close to Gaza while it was sailing through the international waters, was taken over by the Israeli forces. The activists along with Soo were detained by the Israeli administration and their belongings were also taken away. While Soo was deported via Thailand after remaining in prison for two days, some of his fellow activists from Flotilla faced longer detention.
Soo’s movie holds relevance even after seven years of being filmed. With striking similarities during the recent incident when boats carrying aid by activists from the globe as a part of the Global Sumud Flotilla were intercepted and the people on board were detained by the Israeli military. Swedish activist Greta Thunberg also alleged physical abuse, threats and harassment during her time in custody of the Israeli forces.
The movie, Al Awda, which is a first-hand account of the dangers and a clear picture of the mistreatments activists trying to enter Gaza had to face while attempting to break Israel’s blockade.
As Soo recounts, during two days of his prison he was kept in filthy conditions in the cell. “The prison condition was quite bad and the food was horrible,” said Soo during a conversation with The Statesman over the phone as he was denied a visa by Singaporean authorities for attending the film festival in Kolkata. “The wardens were kind of racists. But what should be highlighted is that if we were subjected to such kinds of conditions, the Palestinians in Israeli prisons suffer from all kinds of unimaginable horrors,” reiterated the director.
The treatment with the other activists was even worse as they had formed a human chain which was a sign of peaceful resistance while Al Awda was being taken over by the Israeli military. Few of the activists were also tasered by the forces that led to bleeding from their faces. A taser gun is a device to deliver electric shock on the targeted person making his body lose control for a short while. His camera and other belongings were taken away and the films destroyed. However, after returning, Soo discovered one of the films was luckily saved from the Israeli military and he decided to go ahead with making a movie on the experiences of the voyage.
The independent filmmaker lamented over the Singaporean government backing the oppressors of Gaza. “Both India and Singapore were once colonised and the nations are well aware of the pain,” said Soo. “It’s sad to see how the world is watching genocide live but is still silent over it. We should remember one thing, when our governments betray the very human values or principles, it is up to us to try to fix them,” Soo, who has been known for films on historical events having a social impact, is now working on a movie about the arrest of 24 Singaporean citizens who were put in prison and tortured without any trial, according to the director.