Hundreds of Italian and international cinema artists have signed an open letter demanding the Venedik Film Festival to condemn the humanitarian crisis and genocide in Gaza.
The letter, endorsed by renowned directors and producers such as Matteo Garrone, Abel Ferrara, and Ken Loach, urges the festival and its main organizer to explicitly denounce the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing carried out by the Israeli government and army in Palestine.
The signatories emphasize the necessity to prevent the festival from becoming “meaningless and hollow” and advocate for it to serve as a platform for “dialogue, active participation, and resistance,” just as it has in the past.
Among the signatories are Palestinian directors Arab Nasser and Tarzan Nasser, who won the “Un Certain Regard” award at Cannes.
In response to the artists’ letter, the festival’s main organizer claimed that throughout its history, the event has provided sensitivity and an open forum for discussion on all urgent issues affecting society and the world.
The 82nd Venedik Film Festival is set to commence on August 27.
Since the onset of Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, at least 62,622 Palestinians have lost their lives, and 157,673 others have been injured.
