Jim Jarmusch Responds to Mubi Controversy Ahead of Venice Film Festival Premiere
Jim Jarmusch is known for making quiet, thoughtful films—but this weekend, the iconic indie filmmaker found himself at the center of a very loud controversy.
The director’s latest project, Father Mother Sister Brother, premiered Sunday night at the Venice Film Festival, marking his first return to the Lido since 2003’s Coffee & Cigarettes. But while the movie is making waves for its star-studded cast—Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver, Vicky Krieps, Mayim Bialik, Charlotte Rampling, Indya Moore, and Luka Sabbat—the buzz around Jarmusch wasn’t just about cinema.
Instead, questions swirled about Mubi, the film’s co-producer and distributor, which recently accepted a $100 million investment from Sequoia Capital. The Silicon Valley venture capital firm has faced heavy criticism for backing a defense-tech startup connected to Israeli intelligence units following the October 7 attacks. That connection has triggered outrage across the film community, with many artists signing an open letter accusing Sequoia of “genocide profiteering” and urging Mubi to distance itself.
Jarmusch, in his signature dark sunglasses, didn’t dodge the topic.
“I was disappointed and disconcerted by this relationship [between Mubi and Sequoia],” he told reporters. “If you want to discuss it, you have to address Mubi. I’m not the spokesman.”
He made it clear that while he has worked with Mubi for years and appreciates their support, he understands the concern. “All corporate money is dirty,” he said bluntly. “If you start analyzing each of these film companies and their financing structures, you’re going to find a lot of dirt. You can avoid it and not make films at all. But films are how I carry what I like to say.”
The 71-year-old director added that he doesn’t believe the burden of explaining these financial ties should fall on artists. “One thing I don’t like is putting the onus of the explanation on us, the artists. It’s not us.”
Actor Indya Moore, who stars in the “Sister Brother” chapter of the film, also spoke candidly about the challenges of navigating Hollywood’s messy financial landscape. “People are trying to find out how to work in a capacity that’s ethical and not enabling,” Moore said. “I think the kinds of due diligence that people are trying to do is a developing process.”
The tension was amplified by the broader political backdrop at Venice. Just one day earlier, a massive protest erupted near the festival, drawing attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Still, Jarmusch and his cast wanted to refocus some of the attention on the art itself. Father Mother Sister Brother is told as a triptych, with each segment exploring complicated family relationships.
“Father” follows Adam Driver and Mayim Bialik as siblings visiting their reclusive father, played by Tom Waits, in rural New Jersey.
“Mother” centers on Vicky Krieps and Cate Blanchett as sisters reuniting with their guarded novelist mom (Charlotte Rampling) in Dublin.
“Sister Brother” follows Indya Moore and Luka Sabbat as twins grappling with tragedy in Paris.
The choice of locations was personal for Jarmusch—though not always glamorous. He admitted New Jersey was picked largely because of union budget rules: “I had to find the location within 30 miles of New York City… This was 29.5 miles from New York.”
By contrast, Dublin was chosen because, as Jarmusch explained with a grin, “Ireland is very welcoming. Writers don’t pay taxes. They celebrate writers.” Paris, meanwhile, is “my second home… a place I love so deeply.”
As for the origins of the story itself, Jarmusch was refreshingly honest: he has no idea. “I really don’t know where the hell it came from,” he laughed. “Usually I carry ideas around for years before writing, but this one—I wrote it in three weeks.”
With Venice as its launchpad, Father Mother Sister Brother is already sparking conversations both artistic and political. And if Jarmusch’s words are any indication, he’s not afraid of the messiness that comes with that.
Now the big question is how audiences—and fellow filmmakers—will respond once the film heads out into the world.
What do you think: Should artists be held accountable for where their film financing comes from, or is it unfair to put that responsibility on them?
