In the summer, while the Gaza war remained the dominant front of the conflict, Gal Gadot became the center of a highly publicized and painful controversy around the Venice Film Festival. When festival organizers announced that her new film, “In the Hand of Dante,” would premiere there, pro-Palestinian protests erupted. At the festival’s opening in late August, hundreds of filmmakers and artists issued an open letter demanding a clear condemnation of the war in Gaza, and the Venice4Palestine group called for invitations to public supporters of Israel, including Gadot and Gerard Butler, to be revoked. Media reports then claimed Gadot had canceled her Venice appearance because of the protests, but she later issued an unusual clarification saying she had never planned to attend in the first place.
The film’s director, Jewish-American artist Julian Schnabel, addressed the backlash in Venice and in an interview with ynet. He said, “I think there is no reason to boycott artists,” adding that he cast Gadot and Butler for their acting ability because “they did an extraordinary job in the film and that’s pretty much it.” He also refused to discuss Gaza, saying, “I think we should talk about the film and not this issue.” In his interview he went further, calling Gadot’s casting “a huge mess that had nothing to do with the film,” and insisting, “Gal did a phenomenal job.”
Schnabel said he chose Gadot after a phone conversation, comparing her screen presence to Ingrid Bergman. He explained that his films rely on trust and creative freedom, and said Gadot was “so warm and kind” and especially affectionate toward co-star Oscar Isaac. He also said he liked the film’s ending line, “I found the hidden God from man, here she is,” because he liked the idea of God as a woman.
“In the Hand of Dante” will arrive on Netflix next Wednesday. Based on Nick Tosches’ novel, it follows a manuscript of Dante’s “The Divine Comedy” that moves from the Vatican library to a New York mobster and then to Tosches, who is asked to verify it and ends up on his own journey. The cast includes Al Pacino, Jason Momoa, Oscar Isaac and Martin Scorsese, who plays a wise old man influencing Dante. Gadot plays two roles, Juliet, Tosches’ wife, and Gemma Donati, Dante’s wife, while Isaac plays Tosches and Dante. The film includes implied sex scenes between Gadot and Isaac, including a shot of her as Venus rising from the sea.
