VENICE, Aug 27 (Reuters) - U.S. director Alexander

Payne, president of the jury at this year's Venice Film

Festival, said on Wednesday that while movies rarely alter the

course of society, they serve as vital documents of their times

and shape memory.

"Can a film really change society or culture? I don't know.

Doubtful," Payne said, recalling that films such as Charlie

Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" did not stop World War Two, but

rather showed that people were aware of what was going on.

"We have those as documents and, as such, we can try to

learn from them," he said ahead of the formal opening of the

11-day festival later on Wednesday.

Payne, whose credits include the Oscar-winning comedies

"Sideways" and "The Holdovers", lamented the shrinking space for

theatrical releases in the age of streaming, saying movies that

were only seen online struggled to make a broad impact on

society.

"It's typically films which have theatrical release, which

become a part of a cinema conversation, of a cultural

conversation, and then have some kind of impact," he said.

Big streamers such as Netflix ( NFLX ) and Amazon ( AMZN )

regularly showcase their films at Venice but then offer little

or no exposure for those movies in cinemas, reserving them

instead for their subscribers.

In the run-up to the 2025 event, some 1,500 film industry

figures signed a petition urging the festival to take a robust

stand over the war in Gaza, calling on the organisers to promote

Palestinian voices and denounce Israeli actions.

Payne declined to say if he supported their call, while the

head of the festival, Alberto Barbera, said he welcomed open

debate but rejected suggestions that Israeli filmmakers or

actors should be banned.

"We reject outright the demand to disinvite artists who wish

to take part in the festival. At the same time, we have never

hesitated to express our enormous anguish at what is happening

in Gaza," he told reporters.

The Venice festival opens on Wednesday night with the world

premiere of Italian director Paolo Sorretino's "La Grazia." The

event ends on September 6 when Payne and his fellow jury members

announce who has won the top Golden Lion award.