Introduction to the Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival in Italy has concluded, with Jim Jarmusch, Independent Director of the Us Depend, winning the coveted Golden Lion award on Saturday. Upon accepting the award, the 72-year-old expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you for estimating our quiet film."
Jarmusch’s Film
Jarmusch’s "father-mother sister brother," starring Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver, and Tom Waits, is an anthology film with a comedy-drama that examines the complex relationships between adult children and their distant parents. Notably, "Father Mother Sister Brother" is the first Jarmusch film to participate in the Venice Film Festival. Several former recipients of the respected Golden Lion Award, including "Nomadland" and "Joker," have achieved Oscar success.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
In a decision that may disappoint those who oppose the war in Gaza, the most discussed film at the Venice Lido did not win the Golden Lion. "The voice of Hind Rajab," directed by Franco-Tunisian Director Kaouther Ben Hania, received 23-minute ovations on Wednesday at its premiere. Instead, the film won the second-highest award of the festival, the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize. The film tells the story of a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by Israeli armed forces last year.
Acceptance Speech
During her acceptance speech, Ben Hania stated, "This story is not just about Hind. The voice of the Hinds is the voice of the Gaza strip itself. Your voice will continue to repeat until the accountability is real until justice is served." After the processing was completed, Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, joined the film as executive producers, along with Oscar-winning directors Jonathan Glazer ("The Zone of Interest") and Alfonso Cuaron ("Roma").
Awards for Best Actress and Best Actor
Under the direction of US director Alexander Payne, the jury appointed China’s Xin Zilei as the best actress for her role in "The Sun Rises on Us All," directed by compatriot Cai Shangjun. The 39-year-old actress portrays a woman in the film who examines the topics of resentments and forgiveness. The Italian Toni Servillo won the best actor prize for a president who approached the end of a famous career in Paolo Sorentino’s "La Grazia."
Addressing the Situation in Gaza
Servillo, a regular at Venice, belonged to several award winners who used their time on stage to address the situation in Gaza and expressed his "admiration" for the activists on a flotilla of boats. They "decided to sail with courage to reach Palestine and bring a sign of humanity to a country in which human dignity is humiliated every day and cruel," said Servillo.
