SAN SEBASTIAN: Oscar-winning US actor Jennifer Lawrence called Israel’s bombing in Gaza a genocide and warned about the normalisation of lies in American politics during a Friday appearance at Spain’s San Sebastian Film Festival.
“What’s happening is no less than a genocide, and it’s unacceptable,” Lawrence told a news conference when asked about the conflict that has devastated the Palestinian territory for almost two years.
Turning to her own country, the 35-year-old said she was “terrified for my children, for all of our children”, adding that “this disrespect and the discourse in American politics right now is going to be normal.”
For the younger generation, “it’s going to be totally normal to them that politics has no integrity”, warned the star of “Silver Linings Playbook”, “American Hustle” and “Joy”.
“Politicians lie, there’s no empathy, and everybody needs to remember that when you ignore what’s happening on one side of the world, it won’t be long until it’s on your side as well.”
The US star was in the northern coastal city to receive the “Donostia” lifetime achievement award, with a showing of her latest movie “Die, My Love”.
Co-produced by Lawrence and Martin Scorsese and directed by Lynne Ramsay, the film portrays how a couple’s happiness at having a child turns sour, following a series of works that provide a different perspective on motherhood.
Lawrence, a mother of two children, said the movie reminded her of her difficult postpartum following the birth of her second child.
“It’s really bizarre, watching the movie now and seeing everything in retrospect, after feeling like I’ve been through that forest,” she said.
Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2025