\u201cThey\u2019re the best of us,\u201d said Laverty, who won best screenplay at Cannes for Ken Loach\u2019s \u201cI, Daniel Blake\u201d and \u201cThe Wind that Shakes the Barley.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI just hope we don\u2019t get bombed now,\u201d he joked.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tGet The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
\n\t\t\tby email and never miss our top stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n Sarandon was dropped by her US agents and accused of antisemitism in 2023 after she told<\/a> a pro-Palestinian rally in New York that people \u201cafraid of being Jewish at this time are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence.\u201d<\/p>\n She said earlier this year that her outspoken stance against Israel over Gaza made it \u201cimpossible for me to even be on television,\u201d never mind work in Hollywood.<\/p>\n \t But left-winger Laverty made an impassioned plea for filmmakers not to shy away from politics \u201cwhen madmen lead the blind,\u201d quoting Shakespeare\u2019s \u201cKing Lear.\u201d<\/p>\n Laverty did not mention US leader Donald Trump, but his presidency and the war in Gaza have hung heavy over film festivals over the last few years.<\/p>\n South Korea director Park Chan-wook, who heads the jury awarding the Palme d\u2019Or, the top prize at Cannes, also defended the place of politics in film.<\/p>\n \u201cArt and politics are not concepts that are in conflict with each other. As long as they are artistically expressed, they are valuable,\u201d said the maker of \u201cOldboy\u201d and \u201cThe Handmaiden.\u201d<\/p>\n With Meta, the owners of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, signing a multi-year sponsorship deal with Cannes, Laverty also warned about \u201cthe concentration of power\u201d by Big Tech.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are beginning to realize that we should not let these tech bros billionaires, mostly right-wing libertarians, dictate how we live our lives,\u201d he added, with artificial intelligence another hot topic at the festival.<\/p>\n Hollywood star Demi Moore, who is also on the jury, said she was also skeptical of AI\u2019s place in the industry, though not against it.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is nothing to fear because one can never replace what true art comes from, because it comes from the soul,\u201d she told reporters.<\/p>\n \u201cThat, they can never recreate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t THIS MONTH ONLY: Join our reader support group for as little as $6\/month and receive an exclusive tote bag featuring one of Israel\u2019s native birds.<\/p>\n Choose between the\u00a0Duchifat (orange), Israel’s national bird, or the Shaldag (blue), a beloved symbol of the Israeli landscape.\u00a0<\/p>\n As a member of the Times of Israel Community,\u00a0you’ll also enjoy:<\/p>\n
\t\t\t
\t\t\t
\t\t\tAlready a member? Sign in to stop seeing this<\/a><\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t That\u2019s why we started the Times of Israel – to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.<\/p>\n So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven\u2019t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.<\/p>\n For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.<\/p>\n Thank you, \t\t\t
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AFP__20241010__2013311078__v9__HighRes__ActorAndActivistsJoinsCodepinkSitInCallingFo-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tOscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon talks to journalists with demonstrators from Code Pink for Peace while rallying against Israel and in support of Palestinians outside the Capitol Hill offices of Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) on February 15, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla\/ Getty Images\/ AFP)<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tWhich gorgeous bird do you prefer?\t\t\t<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Untitled-design-3-200x200.png\" "\\"\\"\/")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\nAn ad-free experience of our site and podcasts.
\nExclusive access to award-winning films via DocuNation.
\nWeekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.
<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tJoin ToI Community & claim my bag\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tCLAIM YOUR BAG\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tYou’re a dedicated reader\t\t\t<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/334x334-200x200.png\" "\\"\\"\/")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tJoin Our Community\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n