In a letter signed by world-renowned directors and producers like Matteo Garrone, Abel Ferrara, and Ken Loach, the festival and its main organizer were urged to "explicitly condemn the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing in Palestine carried out by the Israeli government and its army."
The letter stressed that the festival should be prevented from becoming a "senseless and empty spectacle" and should instead be encouraged to be a platform for "dialogue, active participation, and resistance," as it has been in the past. Among the signatories are hundreds of Italian and international cinema artists, as well as Palestinian directors Arab Nasser and Tarzan Nasser, who won the "Un Certain Regard" award at Cannes.
In response to the artists' letter, the event's main organizer argued that the festival and its organization have historically provided "a sensitive and open environment for discussing all of the most urgent issues concerning society and the world."
The 82nd Venice Film Festival is set to begin on August 27. At least 62,622 Palestinians have been killed and 157,673 injured in Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.
