Venice Unveils Politically Charged Lineup With 1st Fully AI-Made Feature
Updated
Updated · Variety · Aug 28
Venice Unveils Politically Charged Lineup With 1st Fully AI-Made Feature
2 articles · Updated · Variety · Aug 28
Summary
Alberto Barbera called this year’s Venice selection “the most political” in recent years, with films on Gaza, Russian exile, Iranian dissent, immigration, climate change and Trump-era ICE raids.
One headline-grabber is “Be Brave,” a 90-minute portrait of Diesel founder Renzo Rosso that Venice says is the first fully AI-made film in a top-tier festival lineup.
Other flashpoints include Alex Gibney’s four-hour “Musk,” Amos Gitai’s Israeli entry “The Road to Jericho,” and “NAZA,” a newly added documentary on Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
The lineup lands after Berlin and Cannes were roiled by disputes over Israel, Russia and AI, while Venice’s parent Biennale is already fighting Brussels over a $2.3 million funding cut tied to Russia.