Word Food: Ceasefire & Madeleine

Pushback Talks Season 9 is here with "Word Food"!

This season, Fredrik & Leilani return with their signature bite-sized episodes: sharp, surprising, 15-minute explorations of the words that shape our world. Each week, they pick a single word (or two) and unpack how its simple surface hides deeper social, political, and economic realities.

Think of it as thought-provoking “intellectual snacking” -  quick enough for your commute, rich enough to shift how you see power, privilege, and the systems around us.

This weeks episode:

Ceasefire: a look at the consequences of a ceasefire motivated by profit rather than humanity and the illegalisation of Palestine Action in the UK.

Madeleine (Memory): a taste not only of a delicious French pastry, but also a nostalgic memory triggered unconsciously by a cue encountered in everyday life.

New episodes drop every week.

Make this your ritual for keeping your curiosity - and your resistance - alive!

Transcript

Fredrik Gertten 0:03

I'm Fredrik Gertten and I'm the filmmaker.

Leilani Farha 0:05

And I'm Leilani Farha, and I'm the advocate.

Fredrik Gertten 0:08

And this is Pushback Talks, the word special. We are back this fall with words that make our life shine. We are word artists. No, we are not. But yeah, we're trying to. We're trying to. Wordsmiths.

Leilani Farha 0:29

Frederick, I have two words for you. Although sometimes people act like it's one word. Cease fire.

Fredrik Gertten 0:39

Oh, fire. Fire can be nice. You are cold out in the woods, you put on a fire, and it's that can be cozy and nice. Sometimes if the fire gets too big, it can get scary. But then I guess there is another kind of fire. It's where you are actually shooting to destroy people and communities. And that needs to be stopped. And I guess that cease. So yeah, we've been hearing about the ceasefire for a long time in Palestine in Gaza. And it seems like it hasn't ceased. It just keeps going. Even if they try to tell a story that the war is over. And for in some aspects, it's of course a little bit more over than it was just before. But the aggression is still ongoing. It's interesting because the ceasefire has been a claim both from Palestinians and from the world, and also from the Israeli opposition. And the Israeli big Israeli opposition have been asking for it because they want to get their loved ones out, the hostages. But so now it's like, in some way, a big test also of the global and the Israeli opposition. To say okay, what does ceasefire mean? Is it just a continuation now of what's been ongoing forever in Palestine, or is it a real ceasefire where we actually stop the aggressions and find a peaceful way of solving what we disagree on? It's complicated because the Israelis have taken so much and given so little, so it means that they have to give back, you know, have to give back the settlements. You know, we talked about that in one of our, you know. I mean, it's so it's a lot, and the walls and the checkpoints, and the whole this machinery of apartheid. It has to cease. Apartheid. That would be the real ceasefire. Yeah. And it's such a it's such it's I mean, I mean, people say it's a very complicated conflict. I don't think it's very complicated. It's in some way, like most conflicts, it's it's very clear-cut. But the language is so poisoned because there's a need to poison the language, because the clarity of language is suddenly becomes so dangerous. That's why they there's a tendency of labeling everybody who's criticizing Israel as anti-Semitic, which is like, I mean, I I know so many people who are from Jewish families who are as critical or as outspoken as you are, or maybe I am. Uh, you know, it has nothing to do about, I mean, the criticism of Israel has nothing to do with anti-Semitism. Of course, there is a lot of people out there, it's been in history people hating Jews. That's like we are there's a lot of people hating Muslims right now. So, I mean, in that sense, the Jews and the Muslims should kind of join forces, I would say, because they're, I mean, they have a an experience uh in common. Sorry, I was a very long answer on your ceasefire.

Leilani Farha 4:14

Oh, well, it's a big word these days. I think the Palestinians are saying, and their their advocates are saying, you know, the Palestinians cease and Israel fires. So I think there's some truth to that. I think the problematic is, of course, the why. Why is there a ceasefire? Why did Israel, you know, agree in quotes, I put agree to any ceasefire. What's the foundation of it? And the foundation isn't what you were suggesting, the dismantling of occupation or apartheid system. It was basically to curry favor with President Trump to continue a relationship, some kind of relationship with President Trump. So it's not the right reasons for a ceasefire, certainly not from the Palestinian point of view. Uh and I, you know, I can't speak for why Hamas entered the ceasefire except to think that they were finally having some pity for their people, maybe. The people who were on the front lines of this ongoing uh genocide. But when the reasons for a ceasefire are the wrong reasons, you don't end up with a real ceasefire. That's just clear. And it's continuing, and it's just now low-grade genocide instead of, you know, high grade genocide. Like what can we say? Uh so I mean, we don't have honest brokers, like, you know, we don't have people in power who are driven by human rights and humanity and international law. None of that is what's motivating anyone who's in a position of power around this cease, this ceasefire.

Fredrik Gertten 5:58

And you are in you're now in Cape Town, and which was like under the British Crown for a long time, just like Palestine. So it's it's we should also remember that the responsibility of the former colonial powers is huge. Absolutely. And I mean, what I see from London is that they are actually now arresting senior citizens because they are in favor of a group called Palestine Action. I don't know so much about it, but I it's it's it's actually totally absurd that this is happening now, even under a labor government. I mean, what the F is happening in that country?

Leilani Farha 6:41

It's crazy. I this morning I read a report, and it's been in the news, that NHS, the National Health System doctors are being arrested for articulating anti-genocide positions and being labeled anti-Semitic as a result. It's England has gone crazy under Keir Starmer, who is propping up a genocidal regime. It's and and he himself, an international human rights lawyer. He's a colleague of yours.

Fredrik Gertten 7:17

Supposed colleague. Crazy. Can you see any turn in that? Because it it seems like it's the the rest of the world is now very, very late getting it. That is like this is too much, you know. Yeah. Uh you know. So can you see the turn coming also in the UK?

Leilani Farha 7:40

I was just in London before coming to Cape Town, actually. And uh, I mean, Keir Starmer's approval ratings are the lowest of any prime minister ever, I think. Unbelievable. I mean, given what a majority he was elected on, right? Huge majority. Um, but it would have to, in order for Ms. Prime Minister Starmer to change his tune, I think he has to be unelected. I mean, I just think he's not going to change his tune. But he has a majority. So unless his party turns on him, how can he and or and and he calls an election? I think he just keeps going. I I think he might be like a bit like Teflon. He doesn't care. I don't know. What do you think is motivating him, Frederick? Like power? What is it? I don't know.

Fredrik Gertten 8:31

I don't get it at all. Um because most politicians they they try to put themselves in a place where they can keep the power, so they are like positioning themselves where they think the the audience is in some way, you know.

Leilani Farha 8:47

Yeah.

Fredrik Gertten 8:48

But here it seems like he's got he's like shifting away from where the public opinion is.

Leilani Farha 8:54

They had the largest rally protest in London two weekends ago, 600,000 people at least. Crazy.

Fredrik Gertten 9:02

So so yes. Let's go. Are you ready for a word from me? Yes. Oh, I have a lot of words. Oh, do to do do.

Leilani Farha 9:11

It will be something we can do quick and snappy.

Fredrik Gertten 9:14

Quick and snappy. I will give you a French word. Uh-oh. Or else I think it also exists in English. Madeleine.

Leilani Farha 9:26

Oh. Well, to my knowledge of French, and to my afternoon tea penchant, a Madeleine is a very beautiful small, not pastry, it's like a little muffin almost, but it's just sort of oblong in shape, vanilla looking, white looking, and just sweet enough to make it feel like you're eating something sweet when you have your cup of tea. For me, that's a Madeleine.

Fredrik Gertten 10:01

But it's also a French word that triggers a memory of feeling of nostalgia.

Leilani Farha 10:08

Oh. There we go.

Fredrik Gertten 10:11

So do you have any?

Leilani Farha 10:13

Like that's a French word for that idea.

Fredrik Gertten 10:16

Do you have any Madeleine feelings, my dear?

Leilani Farha 10:20

Well, I have a lot of Madeleine feelings of eating Madeleine. Yeah, but feelings of nostalgia. Oh, you know, yes. Sometimes I find myself really wishing for that time in my life many years ago. It was maybe 20 years ago, I'd say, where I I've always been, I mean, I've been an advocate for a really long time and I understood the inequalities of the world, but there was a time when I wasn't so acutely aware of how horrible the world can be in a variety of ways. And uh I date it to 20 years ago because that was when my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. And I remember walking through a park across from my house and having this feeling of, oh, right, this can happen to my sister, my family. And we are all just mortals. And and just that realization, uh, so acute of like what, oh, right, life is temporary. And I kind of liked that life before then when I thought things would just go on forever and everything could be beautiful, and even with this, you know, even with inequalities, I just I felt like there was so much possibility. And I I remember that day feeling like things were a little less possible. And if I fast forward to October 7th and the last two years, where so much has been opened to me, even me, who was so critical before October 7th, who understood so much of power dynamics in the world, a lot has been revealed to me in the last two years and my own position in the world as an Arab and how I don't count for anything. I understand that now. That's been made clear by the Western world. Uh I wish I didn't know all this. I wish I didn't know it. I have a nostalgia.

Fredrik Gertten 12:32

I have a actually memory from when we filmed Push because we've actually were filming just across the street from the building where your sister lived, and you it you were really taken back emotionally. I mean, you have I mean, I love that with you, you have a very good access to your own feelings, which is I think a strength. You have an emotional strength that you're you can let things touch you, and also the Madeleine feelings, you know, swiping by. And uh I think that's that's nice. You are I remember that you're very well a Madeline person for me.

Leilani Farha 13:17

There we go. That's a nice way to end. Madeline.

Fredrik Gertten 13:21

This is Pushback Talks, and we are doing kind of our word food, word play, word salad. And we have this podcast together, we make it for fun, we want to tell inspirational stories, and we don't make any money out of this, so we try to kind of find time to do it. And how do we fund it? Because we still have a technical crew who is editing, and so it so we are not without cost. How do we fund our podcast, Leilani?

Leilani Farha 13:52

Well, we try to fund it using our Patreon account. If you go to patreon.com, you can support pushback talks, and people do, yeah, and every little bit helps.

Fredrik Gertten 14:03

Thank you for every single person who is supporting us. It means a lot because support is also some kind of love going away. And and we are addicts of love. Thank you. See you very soon. Bye.

Leilani Farha 14:19

See you next time, Frederick. Bye. Bye.

Kirsten McRae 14:25

Pushback Talks is produced by WG Film. To support the podcast, become a patron by going to patreon.com slash pushback talks. Follow us on social media at make underscore the shift and push underscore the film. Or check out our websites maketheshift.org, pushthefilm.com, or breaking socialfilm.com.