Johnny Depp and Mick Jagger for a grand finale to the 2019 Film Festival. And the surprises are not over yet…
With the start of the second week at the 76th Venice Film Festival, the weather on the Lido has changed. The wind has picked up, and many umbrellas were seen flying away from people waiting on the Red Carpet. The changing wind, the flying umbrellas… it feels like the beginning of “Mary Poppins.” What better welcome for the arrival of Julie Andrews on the red carpet! The star of “The Sound of Music” and “Victor Victoria” appeared in an elegant powder blue suit, sporting her incomparable smile, and was immediately met with a rain of applause. “I am still amazed. I have been a lucky girl to have played such beautiful roles,” she stated while receiving the well-deserved Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement from the hands of President Paolo Baratta.
Meanwhile, Spike Lee was also seen at the Lido, arriving to promote “American Skin” by actor and director Nate Parker, who acted for him in “Red Hook Summer.”
Nate plays an Iraq War veteran whose teenage son is killed by a police officer, sparking a media case and street clashes. Parker devises a way to bring the different perspectives of white people, Black people, women, and law enforcement to the screen, opening a window for dialogue where none seems possible, and confirming the high number of “social” politics in this edition.
Another film not to be missed (coming soon to cinemas) is “Effetto Domino” by Alessandro Rossetto, starring Diego Ribon, Mirko Artuso, Maria Roveran, Roberta Da Soller, and Marco Paolini. It is a “purely Venetian” film, performed in the Venetian dialect like his previous work “Piccola Patria.”
The story takes place in the thermal area of Abano-Montegrotto and tells the drama of a building contractor who embarks on a project that is perhaps too ambitious for his means. The rules that once allowed success for people who “at 15 were unloading bags of lime, at 20 were selling villas, and at 30 were moving from one construction site to another with platinum-blonde wives and metallic cars registered to the company” no longer work. Perhaps only the younger generations are able to understand how the world is changing. Also playing on home turf is “Il Pianeta in Mare”, a documentary by Andrea Segre about Marghera that combines vintage footage with contemporary testimonies.
In the Orizzonti section, meanwhile, the moment arrived for Iranian cinema which, as usual, surprised and did not disappoint. The film is Metri Shesho Nim (Just 6.5) by Saeed Roustayi. In a dusty Tehran, different from that seen in other films, we follow Samad (Payman Maadi), a police officer involved in the fight against drug trafficking. Tired of only catching “small fish,” he tries to flush out the boss (Navid Mohammadzadeh, best actor in Orizzonti in 2017). The film maintains a tight pace throughout, and the over two hours pass quickly, thanks above all to the skill of the performers.
As previously mentioned, in addition to the world of cinema, the Festival also allowed for previews of major television productions. For “The New Pope” (Sky), led by Paolo Sorrentino, Jude Law, John Malkovich, Javier Camara (who received a great round of applause from the press room), Silvio Orlando, and Ludivine Sagnier (also present in competition with La Vérité) arrived at the Lido.
For “Zero Zero Zero”, in addition to Saviano, Andrea Riseborough (Madonna’s W.E.) returns to the Lido accompanied by Gabriel Byrne.
And even if the number of people seems to have decreased slightly after the first weekend, top-tier figures continue to arrive at the festival, including for “fringe” events.
Director Ferzan Ozpetek was seen at the Hotel Excelsior, winner of the Soundtrack Star Award for the precious relationship between his cinema and music. Ozpetek also presented the short film “Venetika” with the splendid former festival godmother Kasia Smutniak, who appeared in a very elegant black sheath dress.
For the traditional Ciak party on the Biennale terrace, Terry Gilliam, Paolo Bonolis and Nina Zilli were among the many seen.
To present the documentary “Unposted” by Elisa Amoruso about Chiara Ferragni, who arrived at the Lido with her partner Fedez, we saw the influencer—ranked by Forbes as the most important in the world—generously signing autographs, appearing at the Photocall in a stunning red tartan day dress by Dior, and walking the red carpet in the evening, again in a black and glitter Dior gown.
Almost as if to anticipate her arrival, influencers and web stars walked the red carpet the previous day, including Paola Turani, Beatrice Valli, Francesca Sofia Novello, Ludovica Valli, Maria Vittoria Paolillo, Roberta Ruiu, Alice Campello, Checu Rodriguez, and Ludovica Pagani.
While waiting for the final red carpets to see Johnny Depp and Mick Jagger, and above all to find out who the awards will be assigned to, browse our Galleries and follow us live on Instagram and Facebook.
For the full Festival program, click here
To learn more, read also 76th Venice Film Festival: A Rain of Stars Lights Up the Lagoon, A Coffee with Venezia da Vivere at the Film Festival
Article by Pietro Gallina (info@veneziacinema.com) for Venezia da Vivere.
Photos are by Pietro Gallina, Rossana Viola, and Cristina Di Bella for Venezia da Vivere.
