Venice festival director defends inclusion of films by Woody Allen, Polanski, Besson

FILE PHOTO: 79th Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera gestures as he speaks during an interview with Reuters, a day before the start of the festival in Venice, Italy, August 30, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File Photo
| Photo Credit: GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE

Alberto Barbera, artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, has defended his decision to program new films by controversial directors Woody Allen, Roman Polanski and Luc Besson in this year’s lineup for Venice.

The official line-up of the 80th Venice International Film Festival was unveiled on Tuesday. Coeur de Chance, Allen’s latest, and The Palace, the new black comedy by Polanski, are among the high-profile titles to be screened out of competition at the festival. Meanwhile, DogMan, the new film by French director Luc Besson, has secured an in-competition selection at Venice. All three directors have scandalous pasts (Besson was accused by nine women of sexual misconduct during the #MeToo movement; he was acquitted earlier this year of rape charges made by actress Sand Van Roy).

In an interview with Variety, Alberto Barbera reiterated his commitment to screen films by these directors on the Lido.

“Luc Besson has been recently fully cleared of any accusations. Woody Allen went under legal scrutiny twice at the end of the ’90s and was absolved. With them, I don’t see where the issue is,” Barbera was quoted as saying by Variety.

On the inclusion of Polanski, who was accused of drugging and raping a minor in the late 1970s, besides other accusations down the decades, Barbera said, “In Polanski’s case, it’s paradoxical. It’s been 60 years. Polanski has admitted his responsibility. He’s asked to be forgiven. He’s been forgiven by the victim. The victim has asked for the issue to be put to rest. I think that to keep beating on Polanski means seeking a scapegoat for other situations that would deserve more attention.”

The Venice Film Festival has also replaced Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers with Edoardo De Angelis’s Comandante as its opening film. Distributors MGM have pulled Challengers from the festival due to the ongoing Hollywood strike. According to parameters laid out by SAG-AFTRA, guild members are forbidden from working or promoting their films – including walking on red carpets – while on strike.