Protesters Advocating for Palestine Discuss the Gaza Conflict during the Venice Film Festival

Pro-Palestinian Protest Rocks Venice Film Festival

The 82nd Venice International Film Festival was recently shaken by a pro-Palestinian protest, as thousands of people gathered to voice their concerns over the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The demonstration, which took place on Lido barrier island, was led by Emilia d'Agnano, a Venice student, who held a banner demanding action.

The protest gained momentum after Venice4Palestine, an organization of Italian and international film professionals, issued an open letter demanding the festival condemn Israel's military campaign in Gaza. The letter, signed by hundreds of actors, directors, and producers, including Swann Arlaud, Charles Dance, Arab Nasser, and Tarzan Nasser, called for the boycott of the festival under the organization Venice4Palestine. The artists who signed the letter, consisting of around 1,500 signatories, demanded the exclusion of Israeli actress Gal Gadot and protested the presence of other actors like Gerard Butler, known for their pro-Israel views.

However, Alberto Barbera, the Venice Film Festival's artistic director, stated that Gadot would not be attending, but the festival would not rescind invitations to artists over the war. Barbera reiterated the festival's position over the conflict, expressing sadness over the civilian casualties and deaths in Gaza, including children.

The war in Gaza, now nearly two years old, has devastated the civilian population. More than 39,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the enclave's Health Ministry. This month, Gaza City and the surrounding territory were officially declared to be suffering from famine by a group of global experts.

Despite the controversy, the festival has continued to attract A-list celebrities. Julia Roberts, George Clooney, and Emma Stone have attended premieres at Palazzo del Cinema this week. However, Roberto Zibetti, an Italian actor, participated in the protest despite being a cast member in three films at the festival. Zibetti, who stated that creativity can be an "arsenal of peace," expressed his support for the protest's message to "Stop killing."

The Venice Biennale, which organizes the film festival, stated that it is open to discussing global issues and that films about the war in Gaza are being screened at this year's festival. The festival, which runs until September 11th, promises to be a vibrant and thought-provoking event, despite the ongoing political tensions.

Protesters Advocating for Palestine Discuss the Gaza Conflict during the Venice Film Festival