A growing list of global film industry iconsāincluding Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Riz Ahmed, and Guillermo del Toroāhave signed an open letter condemning the entertainment industryās silence on what they describe as genocide in Gaza.
The petition, backed by over 370 actors and filmmakers, specifically calls out Israelās killing of Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, who was featured in the documentary Put Your Soul in Your Hand and Walk, which had its premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival on Thursday.
Among the new signatories is Juliette Binoche, who chairs the Cannes jury this year. Initially hesitant to endorse the letter, Binoche gave a moving tribute to Hassouna during the festivalās opening ceremony, stating:
“She should have been here tonight with us,” referencing Hassounaās deathāalongside 10 family membersājust one day after learning her film would screen at Cannes.
Other major names expressing support include Rooney Mara, Jim Jarmusch, Omar Sy, and Michael Moore. Ralph Fiennes, Richard Gere, Mark Ruffalo, Susan Sarandon, Guy Pearce, Javier Bardem, Pedro AlmodĆ³var, Alfonso CuarĆ³n, Mike Leigh, and David Cronenberg also signed the original version of the letter, stating they feel āashamedā of the film industry’s ongoing silence.
The letter comes amid escalating violence in Gaza, where over 120 Palestinians were killed on Thursday alone, with dozens more deaths reported overnight.
In her speech, Binoche also acknowledged the Israeli hostages taken on October 7, 2023, making clear that humanitarian concern must extend to all innocent lives affected by the conflict.