Roger Waters, Annie Ernaux Lead Call for Cultural Boycott of Israel at Venice Film Festival

Prominent artists including Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux, Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters, and director Céline Sciamma have signed an open letter urging the Venice Film Festival to implement a cultural boycott of Israel. The letter, published by the Venice4Palestine collective, demands the festival cease all agreements with entities linked to the Israeli government and calls for Palestinian flags to be displayed throughout the event.

Venice4Palestine, which also campaigned last year to cancel invitations to Israeli supporters Gal Gadot and Gerard Butler, argues that transparency is needed across the film industry's funding, co-productions, distribution, festivals, and sponsorships. They describe the boycott as a tool to pressure institutions and a form of resistance. Other signatories include photographer Nan Goldin, screenwriter Paul Laverty, and Palestinian actor Saleh Bakri. The letter has garnered support from pro-Palestinian and BDS organizations in Italy and France.

The political controversy coincides with the festival's artistic focus on the Gaza conflict. This year, two Palestinian films are featured officially, and a documentary titled "NAZA" by Yuval Avraham and Rachel Tzur, addressing the calculated killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, was added to the competition. Last year, the film "The Voice of Hind Rajab," centered on Gaza, won the Silver Lion award amid prolonged applause. The Venice Film Festival has not yet responded to the boycott demands.