Artists Urge Venice Film Festival to Support Palestine Amid Official Selections

The Venice4Palestine artist collective issued an open letter on Friday urging the Venice Film Festival's management to take concrete actions supporting Palestine during the upcoming event. The letter, signed by dozens of cultural figures including Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux and musician Roger Waters, calls for raising the Palestinian flag throughout the festival to acknowledge the participation of two Palestinian films in the official program: Ahmad Hassouna's "Citizen Osama" and Moayed Alayan's "A Talk with the Sea." This appeal follows a similar initiative last year, when the collective demanded the cancellation of invitations to actors Gal Gadot and Gerard Butler due to their support for Israel.

The festival will host a panel on September 8 focusing on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, featuring international law experts and representatives from maritime aid missions. Earlier this week, the festival announced the inclusion of the Israeli documentary "NAZA," by creators Yuval Avraham and Rachel Shor, in the official competition. The film explores the mechanisms behind IDF strikes on civilians in Gaza. The 83rd Venice Film Festival is scheduled to run from September 2 to 12. The festival's management has not yet responded to the collective's demands.

Additionally, a new film by Amos Gitai, known for "No Land's Man," has also been accepted to the Venice Film Festival, further highlighting the event's engagement with politically charged cinema.