VENICE — Often great films tell great political stories. Or, at least they unfold against the backdrop of tumultuous political events. "Gone with a Wind" would never let us forget the American Civil War. "Casablanca" was set against the exodus of hundreds of people fleeing Nazi tyranny to the New World.
The Holocaust and the partition of the Indian subcontinent inspired many to use them for themes. So, it is not very surprising that major film festivals across the world have increasingly begun to choose works that are political. This year's Venice Film Festival on the island of Lido was overtly political, with politics slipping off the screen and spilling onto the streets.
Venice grew out of political compulsion — the desire of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and other Fascist leaders to invite the world to see their point of view. The festival, established in 1932 and considered the oldest anywhere, soon became a platform for Italian and German political cinema — and the biggest reason for Cannes.