The Venice Film Festival this year draws Hollywood royalty, European auteurs and Asian masters, plus a strong dose of political tension as Israel's war in Gaza casts a shadow over the Lido.

Venice

The Venice Film Festival has opened with a strong focus on both film and geopolitics, as the ongoing conflict in Gaza influences the atmosphere. A collective known as Venice for Palestine, supported by over 1,500 signatories including prominent directors, has called on the festival to support Palestinian voices and denounce Israeli actions. Festival director Alberto Barbera affirmed the event's commitment to open debate but rejected calls to boycott Israeli filmmakers.

The festival features 21 films competing for the Golden Lion, with several entries addressing current global conflicts. Notably, 'The Voice of Hind Rajab' tells the story of a Palestinian child killed in Gaza, while other films explore themes such as nuclear tensions and the rise of Vladimir Putin. Organisers describe the line-up as a return to cinema that reflects contemporary realities.

Geopolitics shares the spotlight with stars at Venice Film Festival

This year's Venice Film Festival draws stars, directors, and a strong dose of political tension. Israel's war in Gaza is casting a shadow over the Lido. A collective of film industry figures, Venice for Palestine, has urged the festival to take a robust stand over the war in Gaza. It's called on the organisers to promote Palestinian voices and denounce Israeli actions in Gaza. The appeal was signed by more than 1,500 people, including directors such as Ken Loach and Matteo Garoni. Festival director Alberto Barbera told Reuters on Wednesday that Venice welcomed conversation. We are a cultural institution, a space of confrontation, of debate. It's an open space where all the artists can attend and they can make their speech and their statement and so on. However, he dismissed calls for Israeli filmmakers and actors to be barred and said, quote, we will not boycott anyone. The 11-day event commences the awards season, with 21 films competing for the Golden Lion Prize. Films here over the past four years have collected over 90 Oscar nominations and won almost 20. One of the films in the main competition tackles the war in Gaza. The voice of Hind Rajab, directed by Tunisia's Kaoufa Ben Hania, tells the true story of a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed in the territory in 2024. That was after being trapped for hours in a vehicle targeted by Israeli forces. Meanwhile, Catherine Bigelow will premiere her thriller, A House of Dynamite, about a nuclear missile launch. Olivier Assayas will present The Wizard of the Kremlin, which explores the rise of Vladimir Putin. The line-up is indicative, Barbera said, of what he described as a, quote, comeback of a cinema of reality. We are living in a dangerous time, as we all know, and cinema is a fantastic, it's a great tool to have a better knowledge of the situation.

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