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Renowned French actress Catherine Deneuve has joined over 900 figures from the film industry in signing an open letter that condemns what it describes as a “genocide” in Gaza, while also criticising the movie world’s silence on the issue.
The petition, launched in the lead-up to the Cannes Film Festival, initially included around 380 signatories, among them actor Ralph Fiennes, star of Schindler’s List. By Friday, the number had more than doubled, with notable names such as British filmmaker Danny Boyle and Swedish actor Gustaf Skarsgård adding their support.
Named “Artists for Fatem”, the initiative was inspired by the recent death of Palestinian photojournalist Fatima “Fatem” Hassouna. Hassouna, who featured in a documentary selected for Cannes’ ACID programme, was killed in an Israeli air strike last month, along with ten family members in her northern Gaza home. The airstrike occurred just a day after the documentary’s selection was announced.
“As artists and cultural players, we cannot remain silent while genocide is taking place in Gaza,” the open letter declares, adding that the ongoing violence has deeply affected communities worldwide.
The growing list of signatories includes several high-profile names such as Juliette Binoche — who is presiding over the Cannes jury this year — along with Rooney Mara, Jonathan Glazer, Jim Jarmusch, Omar Sy, Susan Sarandon, Pedro Almodóvar, Richard Gere, and Mark Ruffalo.
Also lending his support is WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is attending Cannes to promote a new documentary about his life. Assange appeared at the festival earlier this week wearing a T-shirt bearing the names of children killed in Gaza.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 3,613 people have been killed in the territory since Israeli strikes resumed on March 18, bringing the total death toll in the region to 53,762 — the majority being civilian women and children. The recent Israeli bombardment began following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, which resulted in 1,218 deaths in Israel, according to Israeli figures.
