Venice 2025: Jury head bats away questions on Gaza due to being “unprepared”
At the jury press conference at the Venice Film Festival, jury head Alexander Payne refused to answer questions on Gaza as he was “unprepared”.
The opening press conference at the Italian film festival took place on August 27th to get the event underway, which is set to continue until September 6th, 2025.
A protest is planned by a series of grassroots groups regarding the crisis in Gaza on August 30th. They said in a statement: “At a time when the eyes of the world will be on Venice and the Film Festival, we have a duty to make the voices of all those who are outraged and rebelling heard: let us therefore turn the spotlight of the Festival on Palestine.”
During a 20-minute period, three questions were asked about Gaza, but Payne attempted to keep the questions restricted to cinema. He said (per Variety): “Quite frankly, I feel a little bit unprepared for that question. I’m here to judge and talk about cinema. My political views, I’m sure, are in agreement with many of yours.”
Payne directed the questions to Venice chief Alberto Barbera, who said of the situation: “We have been asked to turn down invitation to artists; we will not do that. If they want to be at the festival, they will be here. On the other hand, we have never hesitated to clearly declare our huge sadness and suffering vis-à-vis what is happening in Gaza and Palestine.”
Barbera continued: “The death of civilians and especially of children, who are victims, the collateral damage of a war which nobody has been able to terminate yet. I think there are no doubts in regard to the Biennale’s position on this.”
The festival faced pressure by protestors to disinvite Israeli actor Gal Gadot to Venice for the premiere of the new movie, In the Hand of Dante. While Venice didn’t disinvite Gadot, she will not be in attendance at the film festival, and reportedly never had any plans to attend.
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