Venice at Home – Day 8: Who Are We?

by Cláudio Alves

Before either film had been screened to the public or press, there was already buzz surrounding Alice Diop and Florian Zeller's newest films. Many called Saint-Omer, Diop's first narrative feature after many documentaries, a likely contender for the Golden Lion. Lo and behold, the picture has receiving glowing reviews, which is unsurprising. In contrast, this eighth day of competition at the Lido saw a shocking development with Florian Zeller's follow-up to The Father. Defying expectations The Son has received mixed reviews, some of which lambast it unsparingly. Not even the cast is above reproach to the naysayers. Even so, Hugh Jackman remains mostly unscathed, keeping those Best Actor dreams alive.  Let's not forget that Zeller directed Anthony Hopkins to his second Academy Award. So let's take a look back at The Father and Alice Diop's last documentary before Saint-Omer…

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Venice at Home – Day 7: Between Reverie and Realism

by Cláudio Alves

In 1986, Joanna Hogg presented her thesis film at the National Film and Television School. Unlike the Sunderland photographs and experimental super-8 footage that had won her a place to study, Caprice feels like a repudiation of reality altogether. The short considers the Alice in Wonderland-esque journey of a mousy young woman through the pages of her favorite fashion magazine, all rendered in stylized staging and haute-couture. That work marked another's cinematic debut besides Hogg – Caprice was Tilda Swinton's first appearance on film. The schoolmates turned longtime friends turned artistic collaborators present their latest project at this year's Venice Film Festival – The Eternal Daughter, where the actress plays a double role.

Our Venice at Home program takes us back to one of the Italian director's first international hits and the second chapter in Hogg's multi-film memory play...

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Venice Diary #6 - Banshees of Inisherin, Don't Worry Darling, and Tilda Swinton (twice)

by Elisa Giudici

Are Hollywood stars saving Venice as we enter the home stretch? The answer is yes, but not always willingly. Traditionally the back half of the Venice Film Festival is less glamorous, less exciting, and sometimes even a little dull. Toronto starts, a good portion of the international press leaves, and the most hideous filler of the competition fills the daily program. Not this year, though! Suddenly there's a movie that's even better than The Whale, so don’t worry darlings, today we have some real treats and gallons of drama...

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Venice Diary #5 - L'Immensità, Other People's Children, Padre Pio, Love Life

by Elisa Giudici

Today we have on our menù four movies so different one for the other there's no point in trying to find common ground or a theme. Let’s begin with the surprising and very good Penélope Cruz film... 

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Venice Gowns '22, Round 3

Belgian goddess Virginie Efira (at Venice for Other People's Children) and French icon Isabelle Huppert (presenting Le Syndicaliste) often exude sexual danger onscreen, but only Huppert opted for murder weapons as heels (look at those!). Efira went with a non-dangerous but gorgeous carmine velvet dress. Spain's movie queen Penelope Cruz hit Venice to promote her new Italian film L'Immensita and stunned as usual; truly one of the bonafide MOVIE STARS of our era. American actresses Hong Chau, Sadie Sink (both promoting The Whale), Patricia Clarkson (Monica), ad Britich actresses Jodie Turner-Smith (who is at every red carpet event in Venice this year), and Mia Goth (promoting Pearl) complete today's red carpet lineup. 

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Round 1 - Jodie Turner-Smith, Catherine Deneuve, Julianne Moore, etc...
Round 2 - Timothée Chalamet, Tessa Thompson, Cate Blanchett, etc...