Amos Gitai’s latest film, “Road to Jericho,” has been selected for the official lineup of the 83rd Venice Film Festival, making it one of the most prominent Israeli entries at the international event at a time when Israeli films have struggled to gain acceptance at major festivals around the world.
The film will screen in the official program, outside the competition, with its premiere scheduled to take place in Venice in September.
“This is an extraordinary achievement at a time when films by Israeli directors are being excluded from some of the world’s most important cinema events,” Gitai told ynet after learning of the selection. “The acceptance of the film moved me deeply, especially in an era when Israeli films are not being shown at the most important events. At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, there was not a single Israeli frame. I was therefore very happy that Alberto Barbera, the festival director, connected with my film.”
Gitai is a familiar figure at Venice. Seven of his films, including “Kadosh,” “Kippur” and “Rabin, The Last Day,” have previously competed in the festival’s main competition for the Golden Lion. Two years ago, he presented “Why War” outside the competition.
“Road to Jericho” will also screen outside the competition. “Venice is a festival I especially love,” Gitai said. “It combines artistic depth with mainstream cinema. It maintains a dialogue with different models of filmmaking.” Gitai described the film as “a journey through time and memory,” combining music, visuals and documentary elements.
Amos Gitai
(Photo: Laura Stevens)
According to Gitai, “Road to Jericho” is a hybrid documentary that combines archival footage with figures from his previous films, including playwright Arthur Miller, director Samuel Fuller, actors Danny Huston, Jeanne Moreau and Hanna Schygulla, choreographer Pina Bausch, as well as Irene Jacob, Bahira Ablassi, Sarah Arensburg and Menashe Noy.
The film also includes interviews Gitai conducted with former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, in which Rabin discussed his views on Gaza and Jericho. “Rabin wanted to reshape the Middle East and wondered how an agreement could be reached,” Gitai said. “Unfortunately, today the word ‘peace’ has disappeared from the vocabulary. Peace cannot be achieved through force. It must be achieved through agreement. There will sometimes be difficulties and obstacles. But we must calm the conflicts in which we live.”
The film also follows members of the Arab al Jahalin Bedouin tribe, whose communities were displaced from the Negev in 1948 and later settled in the Judean Desert and the Binyamin region.
Today, members of the tribe face challenges involving planning restrictions, possible evacuations and disputes over community rights. “On the way to Jericho, Italian architects built a small school for the tribe’s children, made from tires and mud, because they were not allowed to use concrete blocks,” Gitai said. “I have followed this school for 10 years and the dangers threatening its existence.”
Asked whether he expected anti Israel protests at Venice, Gitai said he did not believe demonstrations against him were likely. “Usually there are no protests against me,” he said. “There is dialogue with me, and that is the correct way. I cannot know what will happen, but I do not expect it.”
Gitai said the film was created from a place of pain but also from a deep connection to the region. “It asks questions that deserve to be asked,” he said. “There is a fear today of returning to historical situations of destruction.”
Another Israeli figure will appear at Venice this year: author Eshkol Nevo. Italian filmmaker Nanni Moretti’s “It Will Happen Tonight” will compete for the Golden Lion. The film is based on Nevo’s 2023 short story collection “Hungry Heart.”
“It is moving, flattering and far from obvious considering that many doors have closed for Israeli creations abroad over the past two years,” Nevo told ynet.
Eshkol Nevo
(Photo: Avigail Uzi)
The film, which takes place across Rome, Turin and Madrid, stars Louis Garrel and Jasmine Trinca. Moretti has described it as “a film about love” and a “sentimental comedy.” It marks the second collaboration between Moretti and Nevo, following “Three Floors,” an adaptation of Nevo’s 2015 bestseller that competed at Cannes in 2021.
Israeli filmmaker Avi Mograbi will also present a film at Venice. His short film “Wild Asparagus” will screen outside competition as part of the festival’s special presentations. The film continues themes from his 2012 documentary “Once I Entered a Garden,” which followed conversations with Ali al Azahari, his Arabic teacher.
The Venice jury will be headed by Hollywood actress and filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal, director of “The Bride!” and known for films including “Donnie Darko” and “The Dark Knight.” Among the jury members will be Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, whose film “The Voice of Hind Rajab” won the festival’s Grand Jury Prize last year.
The film recreated the story of the killing of Palestinian child Hind Rajab in Gaza and became a major symbol for Palestinians. During the awards ceremony, Ben Hania used her acceptance speech to criticize Israel and call for an end to the war.
Maggie Gyllenhaal
(Photo: MICHAL CIZEK/AFP)
The opening film of Venice 2026 will be “Ink” by Danny Boyle, director of “Trainspotting” and “Slumdog Millionaire.”
Boyle’s latest film focuses on Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch, now 95, whose global empire has included outlets such as Fox News and who has long been associated with support for Israel. The film is based on James Graham’s play and follows Murdoch’s entry into British journalism in 1969, when he acquired the newspapers “News of the World” and later “The Sun.”
Rupert Murdoch
(Photo: AP)
“It is my first time at the Venice Film Festival, and it is a tremendous honor to be in a city that is home to such extraordinary art and to open this wonderful festival with my new film,” Boyle said after learning that his film had been chosen as the opening movie.
“1969, the year we first walked on the moon, was also the year Murdoch and Lamb launched a newspaper that would go on to change the world in an even greater way. Long before Fox News, clickbait and decades before Twitter, Facebook, Google and OnlyFans, the two men created a new kind of tabloid that, against all odds, became the best selling newspaper in the world. A cheeky, bold and provocative publication, The Sun reached enormous circulation figures, challenged the establishment and reshaped our world as it entered the modern era. It was both a privilege and a responsibility to make this film.”
One of the festival’s highlights will be the presentation of a lifetime achievement award to Hollywood star George Clooney. “As an actor, director and producer, George Clooney is a complete and charismatic artist, passionate and original, who turned a deep sense of purpose into one of the most remarkable careers in contemporary cinema,” Venice Festival director Alberto Barbera said.
George Clooney
(Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
“Clooney is an actor capable of filling the screen with captivating spontaneity. He has the ability to make his characters not only believable, but also compelling, accessible and human, thanks to his undeniable personal charm. Yet Clooney’s charisma is built on authenticity rather than appearance, as his appeal has never been merely aesthetic. He represents a perfect combination of old Hollywood glamour, exceptional professionalism and modern sensitivity, moving between genres with rare versatility.”
Clooney welcomed the decision to honor him with the prestigious award. “I have experienced so many extraordinary moments in Venice. Without a doubt, it is my favorite festival, and receiving the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement is a tremendous honor. It probably also means I am old, but I gladly accept it,” he said after learning about the award.
Another lifetime achievement award will be presented to 93 year old Oscar winning American actress Ellen Burstyn.
Burstyn is remembered for her acclaimed performance in Martin Scorsese’s “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” for which she won numerous awards, as well as for the landmark horror film “The Exorcist” and Darren Aronofsky’s “Requiem for a Dream” and “The Fountain.” Her filmography also includes an Israeli connection: she filmed “The Ambassador” in Israel alongside Rock Hudson.
Ellen Burstyn
(Photo: Courtesy of yes)
“Ellen Burstyn is an actress of rare power and truth, and has been a major figure in American cinema for more than 50 years,” Barbera said in explaining the decision.
“Burstyn has brought depth and complexity to unforgettable female characters, portraying the contradictions and transformations experienced by women in contemporary society. Her artistry, the ability to illuminate everyday pain and resilience with dignity, irony and courage, remains a model of authenticity in acting and civic engagement.”