Hollywood star Julia Roberts has said society is “losing the art of conversation in humanity” as she premiered her latest film, After The Hunt, at the Venice Film Festival.
The drama, centred on a sexual assault allegation at Yale University, is already stirring debate for its complex portrayal of truth and credibility. In the film, a student accuses a professor of rape, but neither account is presented as fully reliable, leaving audiences to grapple with doubt on both sides.
Roberts, who plays college professor Alma, said the film was designed to provoke discussion. “We are challenging people to have conversation and to be excited by that or to be infuriated by that, it’s up to you,” she told reporters.
The actress added that the story reopens long-standing debates around power, trust, and gender politics: “There’s a lot of old arguments that get rejuvenated in this movie in a way that does create conversation.”
The film also stars Ayo Edebiri as Maggie, a promising student at the centre of the allegations, and Andrew Garfield as Hank, a fellow professor and close friend of Alma, who becomes entangled in the fallout.
