OPEN LETTER TO VENICE BIENNALE, TO VENICE FILM FESTIVAL, TO VENICE DAYS, TO THE INTERNATIONAL CRITICS' WEEK AND TO ALL WORKERS IN THE FILM, CULTURE AND MEDIA FIELDS
"Stop the clocks, turn off the stars"
The burden is too much to carry on living as before. For almost two years now, images of unmistakable clarity have been reaching us from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Incredulous and helpless, we keep witnessing the torment of a genocide carried out live by the State of Israel in Palestine. No one will ever be able to say:
"I couldn't know, I couldn't imagine, I couldn't believe."
We have seen it all. We keep seeing it all. But as the spotlight turns on the Venice Film Festival, we're in danger of going through yet another major event that remains indifferent to this human, civil, and political tragedy. “The show must go on,” we are told, as we’re urged to look away — as if the "film world" had nothing to do with the "real world."
And yet, it is precisely through those images, captured by our colleagues, perhaps even by friends, that we
have learned of the genocide, of the violent and even murderous attacks on film directors and crews in the
West Bank, of the collective punishment unleashed upon the Palestinian people, and of all the other crimes
against humanity committed by the Israeli government and army. Those images have cost the lives of nearly
250 Palestinian media workers so far.
The Biennale and the Venice International Film Festival are supposed to celebrate the power of art as a means of transformation, testimony, representation of humanity, and development of critical consciousness. It is precisely this that makes art an extraordinary vehicle for reflection, active participation and resistance.
In response to recent tepid, vague or, even worse, convenient statements made by the organs of power,
information and culture, we take a clear and unambiguous stand: it is time not only for empathy but also for
responsibility. Semantics and languages, words and images, are not accessories - especially for those who
believe in art, they are a fundamental and necessary form of resistance. Were it not the case, we might as
well surrender to the evidence that being a filmmaker or a journalist today has no longer any meaning.
For this reason we - activists and workers in the film, media and news fields - believe that for once, the show
must stop: we must interrupt the flow of indifference and open a path to awareness. We therefore ask the
Biennale, the Festival, Venice Days and Venice Critics' Week to take a clear stance and support our requests.
We also assert the need to access spaces to host diverse narratives for Palestine. We appeal to all those who can and want to make a difference - at any level. In Venice, all the spotlight will be on the film world: we all have a duty to amplify the stories and voices of those who are being massacred, even with the complicit indifference of the West.
We urge all members of the worlds of culture and information to use their notoriety and any other means
available during the Festival to create a constant backdrop of conversations and initiatives to uphold the truth about ethnic cleansing, apartheid, illegal occupation of Palestinian territories, colonialism and all the other crimes against humanity committed by Israel for decades, not just since October 7th.
We invite those who work in film to imagine, coordinate and implement together, during the Festival, actions that give voice to criticism of pro-Zionist government policies: a dissent expressed through creativity, thanks to our artistic, communicative and organisational skills. As artists and art lovers, as industry professionals and film enthusiasts, as organisers and news reporters, we are the beating heart of this Festival, and we firmly reiterate that we will not be complicit, we will not remain silent, we will not look the other way, we will not give in to the sense of powerlessness nor to the logics of power. The times we live in and our responsibility as human beings demand this of us. There is no cinema without humanity.
Let us ensure that this Mostra has meaningful values and does not turn into a sad and shallow vanity fair once more. Let’s do it all together - with courage, with integrity. Free Palestine!
The letter collected more than 1500 signatures including British filmmaker Ken Loach, Italian actor Toni Servillo — star of 2025 Venice opener, La Grazia from Paolo Sorrentino, Italian actress and director siblings Alba and Alice Rohrwacher, actress Jasmine Trinca, Sepideh Farsi, French directors Céline Sciamma and Audrey Diwan, British actor Charles Dance and Palestinian directorial duo Arab Nasser and Tarzan Nasser.