Susan Sarandon expressed her shame over U.S. funding of Israel’s war against the Palestinians.

On Saturday, Spanish cinema celebrated its biggest night at the Goya Awards gala, a ceremony that called for peace amid a “troubling disregard for human rights” in today’s world.

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The 40th edition of the Goya Awards opened with a condemnation of the genocide in Gaza. The hosts were actor Luis Tosar and singer Rigoberta Bandini.

“Today is an especially sad day because Israel has expelled Doctors Without Borders from the border and is leaving millions of people without hospital care,” they said, also mentioning the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.

The Palestinian conflict was also present in the speech by Alauda Ruiz de Azua, director of “Los Domingos,” who, upon accepting the award for original screenplay, urged: “Let’s not forget Gaza.”

Susan Sarandon Speaks Out for Gaza

U.S. actress Susan Sarandon, recipient of the International Goya Award, called for looking to the future with hope and placing values such as kindness, courage, and compassion at the center.

Visibly moved, the 79-year-old actress accepted the award before an audience at Barcelona’s convention center that gave her a prolonged standing ovation.

She quoted U.S. historian Howard Zinn: “To have hope in difficult times is not just a romantic or frivolous stance; it is based on essential truths.”

“Coming from a country where repression and censorship are felt, seeing the president’s support for Gaza and having actors like Javier Bardem with a powerful voice is so important for us in the United States. We should be able to express our opinion without the threat of losing our job,” Sarandon said.

At a news conference on the eve of the awards ceremony, Sarandon said her ethical and political stance had consequences.

“I was dropped by my agency precisely for going out to march and speaking out about Gaza, for calling for a ceasefire, and it became impossible for me even to appear on television,” she said.

“I don’t know if that has changed recently, but I wouldn’t be able to make any major film, nothing that had any connection to Hollywood,” Sarandon added.

Activism was evident even before the gala, on the red carpet, where pins supporting the Palestinian cause became the most visible political accessory. “Free Palestine” and “Stop the genocide” were among the most prominent slogans.

“Sarandon also criticized U.S. immigration enforcement policies, calling the actions of ICE unconstitutional and illegal, particularly against Black and brown communities,” Quds News reported.

“She praised grassroots resistance efforts, arguing that real change will not come from political leaders at the top but from organized communities,” it added.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: EFE – Quds News – La Jornada

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