Cinema Day: Films, Parties, Red Carpet, Stars and Glamour at the 76th Venice Film Festival
The 76th Venice Film Festival has passed the halfway mark, and the days at the Lido have returned to a relaxed pace after the frenzy of the opening days. Between films and waiting for the stars on the Red Carpet, there’s often no time to eat, and we find ourselves discussing films and outfits over a coffee. This is how A Coffee with Veneziadavivere was born, the column that recounts in brief what is happening and what will happen at the Festival.
Starting with Lorenzo Mattotti’s new logo, which everyone loves, at this point in the Festival we have seen all the cinematic genres: the opening film of the Orizzonti section “Pelican Blood” by Katrin Grebbe is a film that transforms from drama into a Thriller/Horror. Theatrical rhythms for “La Vérité (The Truth)“, the first film by Japanese director and screenwriter Kore-eda Hirokazu, winner of the 2018 Palme d’Or at Cannes, with Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche and American Ethan Hawke, in theaters from October 3. Everyone loves the comedy “Marriage Story” by Noah Baumbach with Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver and a fantastic Laura Dern, a sort of modern-day “Kramer vs. Kramer” (releasing in November in the USA). And finally there’s the science fiction of “Ad Astra” by James Gray with Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler and Donald Sutherland, in theaters on September 26.
And while the anticipation of seeing or brushing past these stars has led dozens of intrepid fans to stake out in front of the Palazzo del Cinema from the first light of dawn, on the red carpet the world of cinema has merged with that of glamour (and a bit of gossip too).
Model, actress, Bowie’s wife and beautiful, Iman was honored in Venice with the Franca Sozzani Award, “for her courageous, innovative and inclusive style.” She walked like a true queen in a colorful Valentino Haute Couture, while Catherine Deneuve chose a sober black dress by Jean-Paul Gaultier, accompanied however by a bright orange stole.
A real surprise was the festival’s godmother, Alessandra Mastronardi, in Armani Privé at the opening evening. She joked with photographers and fans, generously posed for selfies, and then bowed at the end, almost in adoration, before a surprised Paolo Baratta, the President of the Venice Biennale.
Also in Armani Privé walked actresses Juliette Binoche and Valeria Golino, while Isabella Ferrari opted for a dress with a floral skirt by Etro, the same label chosen by Candice Swanepoel, Victoria’s Secret angel.
On the red carpet there was no shortage of television personalities (Sandra Milo with her new boyfriend) and pop music stars: Elodie, Ghali and especially a true icon of the nineties: Melanie Brown (Mel B.), alias Scary Spice, of the Spice Girls, in a golden animal-print dress by Manila Grace.
Click here to discover the most beautiful Red Carpet looks.
Standing ovations for JOKER by Todd Phillips with the incredible Joaquin Phoenix (Volpi Cup for “The Master” in 2012, and seen last year in the magnificent The Sisters Brothers) and Robert De Niro. With them Zazie Beetz (Seberg, Deadpool 2, Geostorm) and Shea Whigham (Vice, First Man).
Jaeger LeCoultre Award to director Costa-Gavras who presents “Adults in the Room” out of competition at the Lido. THE NEW POPE by Paolo Sorrentino: after watching episodes 2 and 7 with John Malkovich, we are already addicted to the story of the young and handsome pope played by Jude Law.
Surprising THE LAUNDROMAT by Steven Soderbergh, with Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas, where two unpunished narrators with cocktails illustrate the wonders of the world of financial fraud, while indignation grows in the theater.
Five Cuban political prisoners imprisoned in the USA… is WASP NETWORK with Penélope Cruz, Edgar Ramírez, Gael García Bernal, by Olivier Assayas, awarded at Cannes in 2016 with Personal Shopper. In Venice he was in competition in 2012 (Après Mai) and in 2018 (Doubles Vies – Non Fiction).
Monday, September 2, the diva is Julie Andrews, who received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement on the day of Martin Eden by Pietro Marcello (in competition). Success and very long queues for “The King” by David Michôd, with rising star Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name).
Roy Andersson (Golden Lion in 2014) and Atom Egoyan (in competition in 2015) return to the Lido, it was also the day of “Just 6.5” by Iranian Saeed Roustaee, with Navid Mohammadzadeh, best Orizzonti actor in 2017.
Wednesday, September 4 we will go to the other side of the world with “Babyteeth” by Australian Shannon Murphy and with “Saturday Fiction” by Ye Lou (Shanghai) which will see actress Gong Li return to the red carpet. But it will especially be the evening of “Unposted” by Elisa Amoruso about and with Chiara Ferragni.
Thursday, September 5, in competition will be presented “A Herdade” by Portuguese Tiago Guedes, for the first time in Venice, and “Gloria Mundi” by Robert Guédiguian. It will also be the day of the preview of “Zero Zero Zero”, a Sky series inspired by the novel of the same name by Saviano.
Friday, September 6, the last two films in competition will be screened: “Waiting for the Barbarians” by Colombian Ciro Guerra, an Italian production but with an international cast: Mark Rylance, Johnny Depp, Robert Pattinson, Gana Bayarsaikhan, Greta Scacchi, and “La mafia non è più quella di una volta” by Franco Maresco. It will also be the day of Gabriele Salvatores presenting out of competition “Tutto il mio folle amore (volare)”. But the anticipation is also for the out-of-competition presentation of Roger Waters “Us + Them”, for which the former Pink Floyd member is expected in the lagoon.
Saturday the 7th, while waiting to know the results of the 76th film festival, all spotlights will be on Mick Jagger, among the protagonists of the closing film “The Burnt Orange Heresy”.
We leave our coffee because it’s aperitivo time. For this essential need, a stone’s throw from the red carpet there is Campari Lounge, the paradise of cocktails all based on Campari Bitter: Americano, Negroni and Campari Spritz or the inevitable “Red Carpet”, made with Cointreau and raspberry juice.
For the complete Festival program click here
For more information also read 76th Venice Film Festival: A Rain of Stars Illuminates the Lagoon
Article by Pietro Gallina (info@veneziacinema.com) for Venezia da Vivere.
Photos by Rossana Viola and Cristina Di Bella for Venezia da Vivere
