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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.
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.