Also, Laverty expressed his disdain for Hollywood figures who have “blacklisted” actors supporting the people of Gaza. He praised Susan Sarandon, who features on this year’s festival poster, alongside Javier Bardem. “My respect and total solidarity to them,” Laverty said. “They’re the best of us, and good luck to them.”

He also pointed out the roots of the word politics, meaning “of the city,” emphasising the importance of how human beings interact with one another. “In every story, there is the question of power and how it operates, and the values within the story are implicit. Many times, the people who say they are non-political are the most political and don’t realise it,” he explained.

Chilean film-maker Diego Cespedes, the youngest member of the jury at 31 years old, added, “I am very political, and I think we need to take a political position. I hope that cinema gets diverse, that not just rich people ‘do’ cinema. I think I represent that, and I hope we can push that more in the future.” This conversation underscores the festival’s commitment to exploring the intersection of art and activism.