Controversy at the Venice Film Festival
Image of Venice, Italy. Photo by MorBCN via Flickr
The 80th annual Venice Film Festival ran from Aug. 30 to Sept. 9, honoring several films and sparking controversy. As one of the “Big Five” film festivals, Venice is one the most important events for films every year.
“Poor Things,” directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone, took the top prize this year. “Poor Things” is a unique movie centered on a recently resurrected young girl who travels the world on a journey of self-discovery. The atmosphere and themes are on point for Lanthimos, who is known for psychological thrillers and horror movies.
Another big winner of the festival was Matteo Garrone, who won the Silver Lion award for best director for “The Captain.” The film centers on a Senegalese teenager migrating to Europe; the film’s rawness and emotion captured the audiences at the festival.
Like most large media award events, the Venice Film Festival did not go without some controversy. The current writers’ strike against Hollywood dominated many actors and directors’ acceptance speeches. It also affected the attendance at the festival. Emma Stone was not present, nor was Bradley Cooper, who directed and starred in the film “Maestro”
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike over a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) beginning in May, and then SAG-AFTRA joined in the strike this July. The conditions agreed upon by those on strike mean writers cannot work on projects, and actors cannot promote their films, which caused some significant releases to be delayed. This invoked tension within the festival, and some can argue that it hasn’t run “normally” since COVID-19. Its health protocols were removed this year, yet the knowledge of the writers’ strike hangs in the air.
Jessica Chastain opened up about unfair treatment in Hollywood during her speech. Chastain commented on the importance of fair pay and A.I. protection for actors and independent directors, calling out the AMPTP. “The independent producers, like the ones here, are letting the AMPTP know that actors deserve fair compensation, that A.I. protection should be implemented, and there should be sharing of streaming revenues,” said Chastain. “I hope my being here today encourages other independent producers and encourages actors to show up [at festivals] and support our union members.”
Another controversy arose when featuring films by Roman Polanski, Woody Allen and Luc Besson at the festival, which caused disputes regarding the sexual misconduct allegations against all three men. On this topic, Allen commented that cancel culture was “silly.” Shockingly, Allen and Polanski received standing ovations from the crowd on the red carpet and the audience of their films. Despite the media’s seeming hatred towards these men, surprisingly, only a small group of about 12 were seen protesting the attendance of the directors on the red carpet.
Ultimately, the festival was a success. Regardless of conflicting factors, actors and directors from around the world were able to share their work with an appreciative audience.