Venice Film Festival: Almodovar’s The Room Next Door wins Golden Lion; Nicole Kidman, Vincent Lyndon claimed the top actor award

Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language film next doorwhich tackles heavy themes of euthanasia and climate change, won the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday (September 7, 2024).

Starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, the film received an 18-minute standing ovation – the longest in recent memory – when it premiered in Venice earlier in the week.

Almodóvar is a darling of the festival circuit and was awarded a lifetime achievement award in Venice in 2019 for his daring, absurd and often funny Spanish-language feature.

He also won an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language category for his 1999 film All about my mother.

Now 74, he decided to try his hand at English, telling reporters that it was like science fiction for him.

Speaking ahead of the premiere, he said that his movie highlighted the importance of cherishing life, but also made it clear that people should be able to die with dignity when they choose.

“It’s a pro-euthanasia film,” he said, criticizing countries like the United States, where so-called “mercy killings” are illegal, unlike in his native Spain.

when next door Widely touted to win, the runner-up Silver Lion award was a surprise, going to Italian director Maura Delpero for her slow-paced drama set in the Italian Alps during World War II — Vermiglio.

Australia’s Nicole Kidman won Best Actress for her risqué role in the erotic film BabygirlIn which he plays a hard-nosed CEO who jeopardizes both his career and his family by having a toxic relationship with a young, manipulative intern.

Kidman was in Venice on Saturday (Sept. 7, 2024), but did not attend the awards ceremony after learning that her mother had died unexpectedly.

France’s Vincent Lindon was chosen as the best actor cool boyA topical, French-language drama about a family torn apart by far-right extremism.

Oscar’s Road

The best director award went to American filmmaker Brady Corbett for his 3-1/2 hour film. The BrutalistThe epic story of a Hungarian Holocaust survivor, played by Adrien Brody, who seeks to rebuild his life in the United States.

The festival marks the start of awards season and regularly throws up the big choices for the Oscars, with eight of the past 12 Best Director awards at the Oscars going to films debuting in Venice.

Best screenplay award went to Murillo Hauser and Heitor Lorega I’m still hereA film about Brazil’s military dictatorship, while the Special Jury Prize went to the abortion drama AprilBy Georgian director Dia Kulumbegashvili.

Todd Phillips was among the movies that left Venice’s Lido Island empty-handed Joker: Folie à DeuxSequel to the original, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga joker, which claimed the top prize here in 2019.

Luca Guadagnino QueerDaniel Craig stars as a gay drug addict in Pablo Lerrein’s biopic of Maria Callas. mariaStarring Angelina Jolie as the famous Greek soprano, it also won critical acclaim but no awards.

French actress Isabelle Huppert headed the Venice jury this year.