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| Father Mother Sister Brother Photo: Courtesy of Venice Film Festival |
Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother won the Golden Lion for best film at the Venice Film Festival last night.
The triptych of family tales features an all-star cast of Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver, Charlotte Rampling and Vicky Krieps.
Jarmusch greeted the news with, “Oh shit” – perhaps an indication that even he had expected the hotly tipped Kaouther Ben Hania to win for the The Voice Of Hind Rajab, which uses real-life recordings of an emergency call to relate the story of a six-year-old girl who was killed by Israeli forces.
He added: “As filmmakers we’re not motivated by competition, but this is something I truly appreciate.”
Ben Hania’s film took home the Grand Jury Prize, which she dedicated to “the Palestinian Red Crescent and all those who risk everything to save lives in Gaza”. She added: “Hind’s voice was a cry for rescue the entire world could hear but no one answered. Her voice will continue to echo until accountability and justice is served. Cinema cannot bring her back nor can it erase the atrocity that was committed against her. But cinema can preserve her voice.”
She also emphasised: “Hind’s mother and little brother are still in Gaza, their lives are still in danger. I urge the leaders of the world to save them.”
Benny Safdie won the best director award for his biopic of UFC fighter Mark Kerr The Smashing Machine, which stars Dwayne Johnson. Valerie Donzelli and Gilles Marchand won the best screenplay gong for At Work.
The Special Jury Prize was awarded to Gianfrancco Rosi’s documentary Below The Clouds, while the acting honours went to Toni Servillo for Paolo Sorrentino’s La Grazi and Xin Zhilei for her role in Cai Shanjun’s The Sun Rises On Us All.
The Venice Luigi De Laurentis award for debut film was given to Nastia Korkia’s Short Summer, about a youngster’s summer against a distant backdrop of war. The director, who was raised in Russia but is now based in Germany, said: “This is the 1,291st day of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. I have never seen the war up close but for 1,291 days I feel its influence. Like radiation it destroys society from within.”
The Horizons top gong went to David Pablos’ Mexican road movie On The Road, while Anuparna Roy was named best director for Songs of Forgotten Trees.
Roy also referenced the Gaza conflict in her speech, saying: “Every child deserves peace, freedom and liberation and Palestine is no exception. It is a responsibility to think for a moment and stand beside Palestine. I might upset my country but it doesn’t matter to me any more.”
The full list of winners is below:
Competition
- Golden Lion - Father Mother Sister Brother. dir. Jim Jarmusch
- Special Jury Prize - Below The Clouds, dir. Gianfranco Rosi
- Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize - The Voice of Hind Rajab, dir. Kaouther Ben Hania
- Silver Lion for best director - Benny Safdie for The Smashing Machine
- Volpi Cup for best actress - Xin Zhilei for The Sun Rises On Us All
- Volpi Cup for best actor - Toni Servillo for La Grazia
- Golden Osella for best screenplay - Valerie Donzelli, Gilles Marchand for At Work
- Marcello Mastroianni award for emerging actor/actress - Luna Wedler for Silent Friend
Horizons
- Best film - On The Road, dir. David Pablos
- Best director - Anuparna Roy for Songs Of Forgotten Trees
- Special jury prize - Lost Land, dir. Akio Fujimoto
- Best actress - Benedetta Porcaroli, The Kidnapping Of Arabella
- Best actor - Giacomo Covi, A Year Of School
- Best screenplay - Ana Cristina Barragan for The Ivy
- Short Summer, dir. Nastia Korkia
- Best documentary on cinema - Mata Hari, dir. Joe Beshenkovsky, James A. Smith
- Best restored film - Bashu, The Little Stranger, dir. Bahram Beyzaie
Venice Immersive
- Grand Prize - The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up, cre. Singing Chen
- Special Jury Prize - Less Than 5gr of Saffron, cre. Negar Motevalymeidanshah
- Achievement Prize - A Long Goodbye, cre. Kate Voet, Victor Maes
