Ayouch and Touzani use Venice red carpet to call for Gaza

Sunday 31 August 2025 - 13:45

By: Sahili Aya

Ayouch and Touzani use Venice red carpet to call for Gaza

At the Venice International Film Festival, Moroccan filmmakers Nabil Ayouch and Maryam Touzani used the global spotlight to send a powerful message: “Stop the genocide in Gaza.”

A symbolic gesture on the red carpet

During their walk at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, Touzani carried a handbag designed as a Palestinian keffiyeh. In front of the cameras, the couple unfolded it to reveal the message: “Stop the genocide in Gaza.” The act was widely shared across international media.

Speaking out amid a humanitarian tragedy

Their statement comes as the death toll in Gaza surpasses 63,000 Palestinians since the start of Israel’s military offensive in October 2023. Ayouch and Touzani stressed the importance of using cultural platforms to raise awareness of the ongoing crisis.

Pro-Palestinian rally in Venice

On Saturday, thousands of protesters marched through Venice in solidarity with Gaza. Carrying Palestinian flags and banners calling for a boycott of Israel, demonstrators demanded an end to what they described as “genocide.”

Artists and solidarity at the festival

Several filmmakers have also shown support for Palestine. Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos wore a Palestinian pin, while the collective Venice4Palestine (V4P), supported by more than 2,000 cultural figures including Guillermo del Toro and Ken Loach, urged the festival to take a clear stance.

A cautious response from the festival

Festival director Alberto Barbera reiterated that the Venice Biennale does not adopt political positions, though he acknowledged the gravity of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

A poignant film in the lineup

This year’s program includes “The Voice of Hind Rajab” by Franco-Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, a documentary on the six-year-old Palestinian girl killed in January 2024 during an attempt to escape bombardments. The recordings of her desperate emergency call deeply moved global audiences.