FALCON POWERS – Director Sara Friedland, identifying herself as an “American Jewish artist,” condemned the “Israeli genocide in Gaza” while accepting an award at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday, marking the conclusion of its 81st edition.
Friedland received multiple awards (including for Best Direction) for her film “Familiar Touch,” which was screened in the parallel “Orizzonti” section and follows the journey of an elderly woman in a nursing home. On stage during the closing ceremony held at the Cinema Palace in the Italian city, Friedland stated, “As an American Jewish artist… I must point out that I accept this award on the 336th day of the Israeli genocide in Gaza and the 76th year of occupation.”
She added, “I believe it is our responsibility as people in the film industry to use the institutional platforms we work through to confront Israel’s impunity on the global stage. I stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for liberation.”
The war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas entered its twelfth month on Saturday, with no signs of an end to the deadly Israeli airstrikes or the possibility of a ceasefire or the release of hostages in the near future.
Israel has vowed to eliminate the Islamic movement that has governed Gaza since 2007, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.
On October 7, armed groups affiliated with Hamas launched an attack from Gaza into southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally by Agence France-Presse based on official Israeli data. Among the 251 people kidnapped that day, 97 remain held in Gaza, including 33 that the Israeli army has declared dead. The subsequent Israeli bombing campaign and ground operations have resulted in at least 40,939 deaths in Gaza, according to the latest figures released by the Hamas health ministry. The United Nations confirms that the majority of the dead are women and children.
In February, another major European film festival, the Berlin International Film Festival, sparked intense controversy in Germany after winners made statements condemning Israel without mentioning the Hamas attack, leading German authorities to open an investigation into the matter.
