Venice Chief Alberto Barbera on the Fest’s Lineup Missing Israeli Films: ‘We Have No Prejudice Against Anyone Anywhere in the World’

By Elsa Keslassy

Elsa Keslassy

International Correspondent

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Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera spoke candidly Tuesday about the political pressures surrounding this year’s edition, while making clear that the fest has no intention of shying away from controversy.

Speaking to Variety at the press cocktail on the Lido ahead of the 83rd edition, Barbera said it was “almost normal” that Venice was being pressed to take a political position given the number of films in the lineup touching on Gaza, Palestine, Ukraine and other contentious subjects.

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