Japanese film director Neo Sora displays strong support for Palestine at 81st Venice Film Festival

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – Well-known Japanese film director Neo Sora wore the keffiyeh and a Palestinian flag patch to demonstrate his solidarity with Palestine at the 81st Venice Film Festival.

People praised Sora's stance on social media after his videos went viral, in which he was seen wearing a traditional Palestinian keffiyeh and a Palestinian flag patch on his jacket while attending the photocall for the film HappyEnd, which was presented in the Orizzonti selection during the festival at Venice Lido on Monday.

His bold move sparked a social media debate, with many praising the director's bravery and support for Palestinians, who are being targeted daily by Israeli forces, with the latest casualty figures since Oct. 7 of last year surpassing the grim figure of 40,800.

Sora previously used his social media platforms to raise awareness about the ongoing Israeli bombardment of Gaza and the escalating humanitarian crisis, which was exacerbated when Tel Aviv blocked humanitarian aid entry into the enclave.

The Venice Film Festival will last until Sept. 12.

HappyEnd will be released in Japan on October 4, this year.