Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Allyson Johnson | Film | July 26, 2023
As one of the biggest film festivals in the world, the Venice Film Festival always attracts keen attention for its lineup. However, rather than celebrating cinema, they’ve chosen to use their significant platform to honor known abusers. In yet another reminder that “cancel culture” doesn’t genuinely exist, and men with substantial power and means will always be celebrated if their art is deemed “important” enough, Venice has not only selected one film by a controversial filmmaker for their lineup but two.
For the festival’s 80th anniversary, films directed by Woody Allen and Roman Polanski are set to premiere out of competition. Allen has been accused of sexually assaulting his daughter Dylan Farrow in the 1990s, while Polanski was charged with the rape of a minor. There is a rightful outpouring of outrage regarding their inclusion — along with fellow accused abuser Luc Besson — it’s troubling to witness the ongoing trend of world-renowned festivals celebrating these filmmakers.
No matter how critical you thought Annie Hall was, these festivals are intended to uplift and provide stages for some of the most innovative filmmaking happening globally. Instead of seeking out underrepresented voices or the next generation of filmmakers, they’re persisting with films by individuals who have exploited those we’re meant to protect. This follows a similar decision by Cannes, which also saw fit to support a domestic abuser with a film starring Johnny Depp.
While the festival’s lineup is impressive, the news undoubtedly taints it. The names involved are prominent, including new films from Ava DuVernay, Sofia Coppola, David Fincher, Yorgos Lanthimos, Pablo Larrain, Wes Anderson, and many others.
As the American film industry continues to grapple with the hardships and exploitation revealed through the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, there are incessant reminders of the endemic corruption that pervades much of the industry. There will always be those who advocate for the necessity of separating the “art from the artist,” and while film will always demand some degree of that separation, we should not allow ourselves to ignore abuse for the sake of celebrating art. There are numerous exceptional films in the world from filmmakers both known and undiscovered. You don’t need to watch films by abusers such as Allen and Polanski. And it’s discrediting for the Venice Film Festival to include them in their lineup.
