Introduction to the Protest
A group of Italian political and social organizations held a demonstration against the Israeli siege of Gaza in front of the Venice Film Festival before the opening ceremony of the festival. The demonstration, which had around 30 participants, was a march that took place on Saturday, August 30, from Santa Maria Elisabetta at the Venice Lido to the main festival. The march was titled "Stop the Völkermur – Free Palestine".
The Goal of the Demonstration
The goal of the demonstration was to raise awareness about the Israeli military campaign in Gaza and to call for action against it. The organizers of the demonstration, who are part of a group called Venice4Palestine (V4P), are demanding that the film industry take a stand against the Israeli government’s policies. Marina Gustano, a spokesman for V4P, said during the demonstration: "The role of the institutions must be to take a position … and not deny military genocide."
The V4P Campaign
The V4P campaign is managed by Italian activist groups, but it has signatories from all over the global film industry. Some of the notable signatories include Marco Bellocchio, Matteo Garrone, Valeria Golino, Alice and Alba Rohrwacher, Benedetta Porcaroli, and Toni Servillo from Italy, as well as international names like Ken Loach, Celine Sciama, Claire Simon, Audrey Diwan, and Teona Strugar Mitevska. The campaign is calling for the film industry to criticize the Israeli government’s policies and to support the Palestinian people.
Response from the Festival
The V4P group published an update on August 24, in which it said that it was "disappointed with the answer we received … from the Biennale, which does not deal with the substance of our letter". The official communication of the festival stated that it was a "place of open and sensitive dialogue", but it did not directly address the issue of Palestine, Gaza, Israel, or the ongoing conflict. The festival did mention the presence of a film about the murder of a young Palestinian girl in Gaza, as well as an Israeli film, but it did not take a clear stance on the issue.
Demands from the V4P Group
The V4P group is demanding that the festival provide space for Palestinian artists during the opening ceremony and throughout the festival. They are also calling for the festival to boycott certain artists, including Gerard Butler and Gal Gadot, who are perceived to be supporters of Israel. The group is also demanding that the festival take a clear stance against the Israeli government’s policies and in support of the Palestinian people.
The Festival’s Opening
The festival opened with the world premiere of Paolo Sortino’s film "Grace". Sortino had previously described the situation in Gaza as a "genocide" at the Sarajevo Film Festival. The film "Grace" is distributed by Mubi, which has its own controversy surrounding its financing and investment in an Israeli defense technology company. The opening of the festival was marked by protests and demonstrations, with many calling for the festival to take a stand against the Israeli government’s policies and in support of the Palestinian people.
