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A coalition of prominent artists and filmmakers has released an open letter urging the Venice Film Festival to implement substantive measures supporting Palestine. The Venice4Palestine collective, which previously made similar appeals, includes signatories such as Nobel Prize-winning author Annie Ernaux, Pink Floyd musician Roger Waters, and acclaimed directors Isabel Coixet and Matteo Garrone, along with numerous other cultural figures.
The letter requests that festival organizers take decisive action on behalf of Palestine and calls for the Palestinian flag to be displayed throughout the event. The petition highlights two Palestinian films included in the festival’s official selection: “Citizen Osama,” which follows a photographer balancing fatherhood and journalism while documenting Gaza’s conflict, and “Conversation with the Sea,” depicting a Palestinian man navigating Israeli bureaucratic systems.
The Venice Film Festival has established itself as a platform for politically charged cinema addressing Palestinian experiences. Last year’s festival awarded the Silver Lion to “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” a Gaza-focused film that received a record 22-minute standing ovation. This year’s competition will feature “NAZA,” a documentary examining Israeli military operations in Gaza, expected to generate further political discourse.
Beyond the open letter, organizers have scheduled a panel discussion titled “And Yet Gaza Continues to Burn – What Is the Point of Seeing if We Do Not Act?” for September 8. The discussion will feature international legal experts and representatives from the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian aid organization. The 83rd Venice Film Festival runs September 2-12.
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Originally reported by Variety →
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