At the Venice Film Festival, grappling with the state of the world and crying with Oasis
Documentaries and dramas at the festival examined media ethics, Gaza, AI and wealth disparity, with filmmakers saying movies were “fundamentally, unavoidably political.”
- The 83rd Venice Film Festival concluded with a focus on global issues rather than traditional Hollywood glamour, as jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal asserted that films are "fundamentally, unavoidably political."
- Billionaire Elon Musk became an unexpected recurring presence on screen at the festival, appearing in montages and documentaries that illustrated the "collective madness" of current global conflicts and political landscapes.
- Cinema provided a mirror to reality, as films like NAZA detailed the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, while Possible Love explored wealth disparity and violence in South Korea.
- George Clooney described living in a "kakistocracy" while discussing industry concerns, and 93-year-old Ellen Burstyn tearfully accepted the Golden Lion award for her enduring contributions.
- Susan Sarandon noted she is losing work over her political support for Palestinians, reflecting broader tensions discussed throughout the lighter-than-usual slate of Hollywood fare.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Venice Film Festival: A look back on the highlights
AFP looks back on some the festival's on-screen highlights and off-screen talking points. Star-gazing War, moral corruption, family dysfunction and female oppression all played out on the screen in what was a heavy programme, all while the festival's glamorous red carpet welcomed a bevy of A-list stars from George Clooney to Penelope Cruz. Clooney was hard to miss in the first few days of the festival, picking up a lifetime achievement award at …
At the Venice Film Festival, grappling with the state of the world and crying with Oasis – WTOP News
VENICE, Italy (AP) — The Venice Film Festival was lighter on blockbuster Hollywood fare this year, but that might have been a good thing in the end: There were
Palestine, Musk, Murdoch, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, CIA in Latin America, class struggle in Korea: everything that made the Venice Festival 2026 one of the most political editions of its history. This same year, at the Berlin Film Festival, German director Wim Wenders, as president of the jury, said that [...] La entrada Venice Film and Politics aparece primero en LJA.MX Noticias México.
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