The Spanish film director praised the performances of actresses Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, thanking them for their “generosity.” Australian Nicole Kidman won the Best Actress award for her role in ‘Babygirl.’
Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language film, ‘The Next Room’, with Julianne Moore y Tilda Swintonhas won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
Nicole Kidman She was awarded the prize for Best Actress with the Volpi Cupfor her role in a romance with an intern in ‘Babygirl’, but skipped the ceremony due to the death of her mother.
This is a great recognition for the Spanish director, as this is his first film in English. “Many thanks to the jury for this award, for having selected us for such a brilliant edition as this year’s,” he said when collecting the prize.
He also highlighted the good rapport he has had with his leading actresses, whom he mentioned in his speech. “I have to thank Julianne Moore y Tilda Swinton for his talent, his trust and his generosity towards me,” he added, provoking loud applause from those present.
“Directors are the first witnesses of the miracles that occur in front of a camera, and they have made miracles happen on many days of filming,” he said, claiming that “This is a women’s film“.
Pedro Almodóvar also mentioned the plot of his film. “Accompanying a terminally ill person is one of the great qualities we have as human beings. The decision to end one’s life, to say goodbye to this world with dignity, is a fundamental issue that It has nothing to do with beliefs, but with politics.“, said the filmmaker.
The 81st edition of the Festival closed on Saturday, with the presentation of the highest awards by the jury, headed by Isabelle Huppert. The awards went to Brady Corbet for directing the 215-minute post-war epic The Brutalist and to Vincent Lindon for his performance in The Quiet Son. Lindon plays a single father whose son is radicalised by the far right.
‘Vermilion’, of Maura Delperowon the Silver Lion. The drama, produced in France, Italy and Belgium, deals with the last year of World War II, in which a refugee soldier meets a large family.
He Venice Film Festival took advantage of its closing session to host the world premiere of ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2’, by Kevin Costner.
Other films that triumphed in Venice
Five years ago, the Venice jury surprised the film world by awarding the Golden Lion to ‘Joker’, which ended up winning the Oscar for best actor for Joaquin Phoenix, who also attended this year with Lady Gaga to present the sequel.
Last year, the top award went to ‘Pobrecitos’ and the year before, to the documentary ‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed’.
The Luigi De Laurentiis Award for a first film went to ‘Familiar Touch’, de Sarah Friedlandabout an octogenarian’s transition to nursing home life as she deals with her age, her memory and her relationship with her caregivers. Friedland also won the directing award in the Horizons section and its lead, Kathleen Chalfantthe best actress.
Although it has always been at the top of international festivals, Venice has cemented its reputation as a great launching pad over the past 12 years. Since 2014, it has hosted Four Oscar winners for best film (‘Birdman’, ‘Spotlight’, ‘The Shape of Water’ and ‘Nomadland’) already 19 nominees.
