VENICE, Aug 30 – US actress Julia Roberts has said “we’re losing the art of conversation in humanity”, as she premiered a new film about sexual assault which is likely to divide audiences.After The Hunt, which has just launched at the Venice Film Festival, follows a student at Yale University who accuses a college professor of rape.Neither the student’s nor teacher’s version of events is presented as entirely credible, and the film casts doubt on both sides.Roberts acknowledged the movie would provoke debate, commenting: “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 added: “There’s a lot of old arguments that get rejuvenated in this movie in a way that does create conversation.”Roberts plays college professor Alma, who is caught between a star pupil named Maggie (Ayo Edebiri), and one of her fellow teachers and friends, Hank (Andrew Garfield).