“Joker” by American director Todd Philips was awarded the Golden Lion at the 76th Venice Film Festival.
The awards were announced by the Festival’s President Paolo Barrata on Saturday. Philip’s film explores the origins of Batman’s arch-nemesis.
The jury prize went to “J’accuse” by Franco-polish director Roman Polanski. His film is a political thriller about the Dreyfus affair, an anti-Semite scandal that occurred in 19th century France. The Venetian festival’s selection has been criticised in the States because the director stands accused of raping a minor back in 1977.
The director’s wife, actress Emmanuelle Seigner, collected his award. She thanked the jury and said Polanski wanted to “thank his producers, the cast and technical team.”
The Volpi Cup for best actress went to French actress Ariane Ascaride, for her performance in Robert Guédiguian’s “Gloria Mundi”. Best actor went to Italian actor Luca Marinelli, for Pietro Marcello’s “Martin Eden.”
The Italian actor dedicated his award to “all the brave people who rescue others out at sea.”
Ariane Ascaride dedicated her award to “all those who lie sleeping at the bottom of the Mediterranean for eternity.” The actress said she herself is from a family of Italian immigrants, who went to France “to escape a miserable existence.”
The Brussels Times
