Gal Gadot will not attend the Venice Film Festival following pro-Palestinian pressures, according to a report by Italian newspaper La Repubblica. The Israeli actress stars in Julien Schnabel's film "In the Hands of Dante" alongside Gerard Butler, which screens outside the main competition. She will not accompany the film crew to the event as originally planned.
The Venice4Palestine initiative demanded the cancellation of invitations for actors accused of public statements allegedly supporting the Israeli government. The announcement of her absence comes against the backdrop of 1,500 signatures from Italian cinema professionals – including directors, actors, and artists – organized in the collective that signed an open letter last weekend demanding the film festival take a clear position regarding the Middle East conflict.
The first letter was followed by a second letter sent on Sunday that demanded event organizers cancel the invitation sent to Gadot.
Schnabel's film is scheduled to screen on September 3, the same day "The Voice of Hind Rajab" by Tunisian director Kauther Ben Hania will be presented, which competes this year. The political drama deals with the killing of a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who was trapped in a car attacked by IDF forces in Gaza in 2024 and was found dead later.
A regional demonstration is planned in Venice on August 30 under the title "Stop the Genocide – Free Palestine."
