Israel-Gaza Conflict In Focus At Venice Awards Ceremony As Multiple Winners Voice Support For Palestinian People
deadline.comThe Venice awards ceremony had a political edge on Saturday evening as multiple winners used their acceptance speeches to express sympathy for the Palestinian people and condemn Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. “As a Jewish American artist working in a time-based medium, I must note, I’m accepting this award on the 336th day of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and 76th year of occupation,” said U.S.
director Sarah Friedland as she accepted the Luigi de Laurentiis prize for best first film for Familiar Touch. “I believe it is our responsibility as filmmakers to use the institutional platforms through which we work to redress Israel’s impunity on the global stage.
I stand in solidarity with The people of Palestine and their struggle for liberation,” she continued. Friedland’s film, which played in the Horizons competition, also won the section’s best director award, while Kathleen Chalfant, clinched best actress for her performance as a woman getting used to life in an assisted care home.
Chalfant also alluded to the conflict in her speech expressing her hope that the catastrophic turn of events in the region would come to an end so that people on both sides could “live in peace, freedom and justice.”Jewish director Sarah Friedland accepted the #VeniceFilmFestival Lion Of The Future Award for Best Debut Film for ‘Familiar Touch’.
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