A notable collective of prominent figures​ from teh Italian film industry, ‌including renowned directors Marco Bellocchio, Matteo Garrone, and Alice Rohrwacher, has initiated ​a call ‍for the Venice Film Festival to adopt a more assertive pro-Palestinian position.

This group, united under the banner of V4P (Venice4Palestine), released an open letter on Saturday urging ⁤the festival’s governing body, the Venice Biennale, along with its self-reliant sections Giornate degli Autori ⁤(Venice Days) and International Critics’ Week. They⁣ called for these organizations⁣ to ​take‍ a bolder stance in denouncing⁣ what ‌they describe as ongoing ⁣genocide ⁤in ‍Gaza⁣ and ethnic cleansing occurring throughout Palestine, actions attributed to the ⁤Israeli government and military.‍ The Venice Film festival‍ is set​ to commence ‍on Tuesday.

The letter opens⁣ with ‍a⁤ poignant line: “Stop the clocks, cut off the stars.”

Emphasizing Diversity in Cinema

The signatories​ express that “the weight of this situation is ⁢too⁣ great to‍ continue living as if nothing has ⁤changed. For nearly ​two years now, we have been receiving clear images from Gaza and the‍ West Bank. In disbelief ​and despair, we witness firsthand accounts of genocide perpetrated‌ by Israel against Palestine. No one ‌can⁤ claim ignorance or indifference any longer,”⁤ it states.

Among those who signed this ⁢letter are international filmmakers such as Abel Ferrara and ‍Ken Loach; Audrey ⁢Diwan—who won a ​Golden Lion at Cannes for ⁢her film “The Happening”; as well ⁤as Palestinian directors Arab ⁤Nasser and‌ Tarzan Nasser ‍who​ were⁣ awarded Best Director at Cannes’ Un⁤ Certain ⁤regard this year for their⁣ latest ⁣work “Once Upon ⁣a Time in Gaza.”

The Biennale⁣ responded promptly: “Throughout its history, both the Biennale and its festival have served as platforms for open dialog regarding ​pressing global issues,” stated their official response.