Susan Sarandon in Venice: "Marginalized in Hollywood for my positions on Gaza"

Susan Sarandon returns to the Lido at the Venice Film Festival with The Echo Chamber, the new film by Andrea Pallaoro based on an unpublished story by Bernardo Bertolucci, but the consequences of her political activism dominate the meeting with the press.

The actress says she has been progressively marginalized by the American industry for her positions on the war in Gaza and Israeli politics: "There are still films that aren't offered to me, with agencies telling directors not to give me a role."

However, Sarandon maintains that something is changing in the United States: according to her, public awareness of American economic and military support for Israel is growing, even if the professional repercussions remain concrete.

If Hollywood has closed many doors to her, Sarandon says she instead feels welcomed by international cinema. The Echo Chamber itself represents a new European chapter for her, thanks to the trust of director Andrea Pallaoro and producer Daniele Orazi.

“This doesn't just concern me, but also other actors excluded for their ideas”, underlines the interpreter, reiterating that he does not regret the choice to expose himself publicly. For Sarandon, cinema remains a space of freedom and civil responsibility: a place capable of questioning the status quo even when the personal cost is very high.