Oscar-winning filmmaker Alexander Payne returns to the Venice Film Festival as jury president, reflecting on cinema’s role amidst global crises.
A New Chapter for Alexander Payne at the Venice Film Festival
Oscar-winning filmmaker Alexander Payne is presiding over the Venice Film Festival’s main competition jury this year, marking his return for the first time since his film Downsizing premiered on the Lido in 2017.
Reflections on Past Experiences
Reflecting on his previous visit, Payne described that time as a blur, having spent only 36 hours at the festival. Today, he expressed his delight in experiencing a paradise that only became real yesterday. “I arrived by water taxi to my beautiful hotel. I dropped my bags. Soon, I was seated next to Francis Coppola watching a restoration of a 1928 silent film. And I thought, ‘I’m in heaven’… The only hard part, of course, is deciding, and we’ll figure it out somehow.”
Political Context in Cinema
While movies were a significant part of the opening press conference, the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza soon dominated the discussion. Payne was asked about his personal views on the industry’s responsibility. He admitted, “I feel a little bit unprepared for that question. I’m here to judge and talk about cinema. My political views I’m sure are in agreement with many of yours, but as far as my relationship with the festival and what the industry does, I have to think about that for a while to give you a measured response.”
The Festival’s Stance
Venice Artistic Director Alberto Barbera was also questioned about the festival’s position on the crisis. He stated, “We have been asked to turn down invitations to artists. We will not do that. 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 regarding what is happening in Gaza, in Palestine, the death of civilians and especially of children who are victims… of a war that nobody has been able to terminate yet.”
Art and Cultural Influence
When asked how external factors might influence discussions during the festival, Payne remarked, “Whether we are practicing art or looking at art in any given time, the winds of culture are blowing through us. And so I can’t say how conscious we will be, but certainly on many unconscious levels, those things affect us.”
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The Relevance of Film
Payne acknowledged that while he watches “a lot of movies at night,” he prefers experiencing them “projected in the cathedral of cinema.” He lamented that many significant films fail to enter broader conversations due to distribution methods. “I think that maybe I’m just an old guy, I’ve been doing this for 30 years, but as a film lover, it’s typically films which have theatrical release that become a part of a cinema conversation, of a cultural conversation, and then have some kind of impact.”
The Venice Film Festival runs from today through September 6. Joining Payne on the main jury are French director and screenwriter Stéphane Brizé; Italian director and screenwriter Maura Delpero; Romanian director, writer and producer Cristian Mungiu; Iranian director and writer Mohammad Rasoulof; Brazilian actress, writer and screenwriter Fernanda Torres; and Chinese actress Zhao Tao.
