Alexander Payne Dodges Gaza Conversation at Venice Jury Press Conference: ‘I’m Unprepared for That Question’

The ongoing war in Gaza was the main topic of conversation at this year’s Venice Film Festival jury press conference, although director Alexander Payne diplomatically chose to not offer his viewpoint on the matter.

“Quite frankly, I feel a little bit unprepared for that question,” said Payne, the competition jury president, when asked about his personal stance on the humanitarian crisis. “I’m here to judge and talk about cinema. My political views, I’m sure, are in agreement with many of yours.”

Payne noted that questions about the festival’s stance on Gaza — three of which were asked during the 20-minute conversation — would be better directed to Venice chief Alberto Barbera. Ahead of the festival, Venice organizers were urged by hundreds of international filmmakers and artists to take a “clear and unambiguous stand condemning the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing across Palestine carried out by the Israeli government and army.” They were also called to disinvite Gal Gadot and Gerard Butler, both of whom star in Julian Schnabel’s drama “In the Hand of Dante” and have shown public support for Israel.

“We have been asked to turn down invitation to artists; we will not do that,” said Barbera. “If they want to be at the festival, they will be here. On the other hand, we have never hesitated to clearly declare our huge sadness and suffering vis-à-vis what is happening in Gaza and Palestine. The death of civilians and especially of children, who are victims, the collateral damage of a war which nobody has been able to terminate yet. I think there are no doubts in regard to the Biennale’s position on this.”

Payne, the Oscar-nominated director of “The Holdovers” and “Sideways,” is presiding over this year’s jury and will judge the films in competition along with Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres (an Oscar nominee for “I’m Still Here”), Iranian auteur Mohammad Rasoulof (“The Seed of the Sacred Fig”), Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu (“4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days”), French director Stéphane Brizé (“Out of Season”), Italian director Maura Delpero (“Vermiglio”) and Chinese actor-producer Zhao Tao (“Caught by the Tides”).

All jury members were in attendance at Wednesday’s press conference, but only Payne was among the speakers on the panel. Also on the panel were Scottish filmmaker Charlotte Wells (“Aftersun”), Julia Ducournau (“Titane”) and Tommaso Santambrogio (“Closing Time”), who are heading up the festival’s other juries.

Payne also spoke about the relevance of movies at a time when the industry has been upended by the rise in popularity of streaming services and decline of theatrical attendance. Though he prefers to watch films in “the cathedral of the cinema,” Payne admitted that even he’s tempted by the convenience of the at-home moviegoing experience.

“I watch a lot of movies at night on my stomach. But I much prefer to see them projected in the cathedral of cinema,” Payne said. “I lament that many great movies, both of artistic and political importance, don’t become a larger part of the conversation — certainly part of the cinematic conversation — because of the means of distribution. As a film lover, it’s typically films which have a theatrical release which become a part of cinema conversation and cultural conversation and then have some kind of impact.”

He continued to muse on the topic, saying, “Can a film change society and culture? I don’t know, but at least when we make films that are relevant to the times, we leave a document.”

Hollywood stars including Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Jacob Elordi, Amanda Seyfried and Emma Stone are journeying to Venice to premiere such films as “After the Hunt,” “Jay Kelly,” “Frankenstein,” “The Testament of Ann Lee” and “Bugonia.” Payne and his fellow jury members will watch those films and dozens of others over the next 11 days, a mission in which he seems delighted to embark upon.

“I get to watch 22 films by incredible directors for the first time in a theater not knowing anything about them,” Payne said. “This is heaven!”