Maggie Gyllenhaal is putting politics at the center of the conversation at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
Speaking as president of the festival’s main competition jury, Gyllenhaal said films are “fundamentally, unavoidably political,” arguing that cinema can create empathy even during periods of war and social instability.
She also addressed the lack of women filmmakers in competition, saying there is a systemic problem that makes it harder for women to get films financed and recognized as high art.
Her comments come as Venice faces wider debates around Gaza, Ukraine, freedom of expression, and the role artists should play in political conversations.