By Crispian Balmer
VENICE, Sept 6 (Reuters) – Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon said on Sunday she was still losing work because of her outspoken support for Palestinians, despite what she described as a broader shift in public opinion against U.S. support for Israel.
Speaking at the Venice Film Festival, where she is promoting her latest movie “The Echo Chamber”, Sarandon said some parts of the film industry continued to shun her over her activism.
“I think that the narrative has completely changed in terms of the historical relevance of Palestine and the ties of Zionists with America and our politics,” she said. “That has been a major revelation for people, how much money the United States gives to Israel, nobody really understood that.”
Recent U.S. opinion polls have shown support for Israel softening and sympathy for Palestinians rising since the start of the Gaza war in 2023.
However, the 79-year-old actor said her support for the Palestinian cause continued to carry professional consequences.
“I’ve still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still,” she told reporters. “But that’s the power structure. I think (among) people, certainly internationally, I feel welcome.”
FLAG ROW AT VENICE
An Academy Award winner for “Dead Man Walking”, Sarandon rose to prominence in films including “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, “Bull Durham” and “Thelma & Louise”.
She was dropped by her longstanding talent agency UTA in 2023 after remarks she made while attending pro-Palestinian rallies shortly after the bloody Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.
The conflict has spilled into this year’s Venice Film Festival, with activists calling on organisers to raise the Palestinian flag in recognition of Palestinian directors screening at the event.
Artistic Director Alberto Barbera has said this is impossible because Italy does not formally recognise the state of Palestine, but he has pointed to several films being shown on the Lido that show the struggle of ordinary Palestinians.
Sarandon said resistance to hiring outspoken critics of Israel remained particularly strong among major studios.
“If it is a major studio, I think it’s not just with me but with other people who have been told that that is impossible,” she said, thanking Andrea Pallaoro, the director of “The Echo Chamber”, for casting her.
“I found my family, I found my people and I’m OK,” she said, sparking prolonged applause at the news conference.
In her latest film, adapted from the final screenplay by Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci, Sarandon plays an ageing singer who hires a music producer recovering from drug addiction to work on a comeback album.
“The Echo Chamber” is one of 21 films competing for Venice’s Golden Lion award, which will be presented on September 12.
(Reporting by Crispian Balmer)
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