Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty used the Cannes Film Festival jury press conference to condemn the conditions in Gaza, before criticising what he described as the blacklisting of actors who have spoken out on Palestine.
"Isn't it fascinating to see someone like Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo blacklisted because of their views in opposing the murder of women and children in Gaza," Laverty said at the close of the press conference. "Shame on Hollywood people who do that. My respect and total solidarity to them. They're the best of us, and good luck to them."
The remarks were delivered on Tuesday as the 79th Cannes Film Festival opened in France. Laverty is part of this year’s main competition jury, which is led by South Korean director Park Chan-wook and also includes Demi Moore, Ruth Negga, Chloe Zhao, Stellan Skarsgard, Laura Wandel, Diego Cespedes and Isaach De Bankole. The jury will decide the Palme d’Or winner, who will be announced at the closing ceremony on May 23.
Laverty, a long-time collaborator of British director Ken Loach, was arrested last year in Edinburgh for wearing a T-shirt that allegedly referenced the activist group Palestine Action. In 2023, the two collaborated on the film The Old Oak, about Syrian refugees in the UK.
Laverty's remarks come as reactions to the war in Gaza continue to reverberate through the international film industry, with several major actors and filmmakers using red carpets, award ceremonies and festival platforms to call for a ceasefire and speak in support of Palestinians.
Bardem has been among the most prominent voices. In February, he joined more than 80 film figures, including Tilda Swinton and Adam McKay, in signing an open letter criticising the Berlin International Film Festival over what they described as its silence on Gaza. The letter accused the festival of failing to defend artists speaking about the war.
Presenting a prize at the Academy Awards in March, the Spanish actor said: “No to war and free Palestine.”
He wore a patch that said “No a la guerra” – Spanish for “No to war” – as well as a Handala pin on the carpet, a symbol originally created by cartoonist Naji al-Ali that has come to represent the Palestinian people and their resistance.
The brief statement drew applause inside the Dolby Theatre and quickly became one of the ceremony’s most discussed moments.
Mark Ruffalo has also repeatedly spoken publicly in support of a ceasefire and Palestinian rights.
Cannes has increasingly become a stage for political statements around Gaza. At last year’s festival, more than 380 figures signed an open letter condemning what they called the film industry’s silence over Gaza, with signatories including Bardem, plus Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon and David Cronenberg.
The 2025 festival was also marked by the premiere of Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, Sepideh Farsi’s documentary about Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, who was killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza shortly after the film was selected for Cannes. French actress Juliette Binoche, who led last year’s jury, paid tribute to Hassouna during the opening ceremony.
Laverty’s intervention places Gaza at the centre of Cannes again, even before the festival’s main competition has fully begun. The festival runs until May 23.
