A story about the chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, the new film by imprisoned director Jafar Panahi, or a feminist drama about a murder trial? The Golden Lion will be awarded at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday evening. Some works are in the favor of the critics, but there is no clear favorite. At the end of the competition, the premiere of the new film by director Jafar Panahi, who was imprisoned in Iran, attracted attention on Friday evening.
Panahi's drama addresses the difficulties faced by many Iranians in leaving their country. Panahi (62) plays himself. Some critics called "No Bears" Saturday morning Panahi's best work to date. The award-winning filmmaker ("Taxi Tehran") was arrested in July. Despite being banned from working in Iran and being banned from leaving the country, he has made several films in the past.
Iranian star director in custody
In Venice on Friday at the press conference for the film, a place with his name tag was symbolically left free. Before the premiere, filmmakers and artists drew attention to the situation of Panahi and other artists on the red carpet with a flash mob.
The drama "Tár" by director Todd Field received a lot of positive feedback during the festival. Cate Blanchett plays the fictional first chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic named Lydia Tár. She has achieved everything a conductor can achieve. In order to hold her own in the patriarchal world of classical music, she has developed a brittle uncompromising attitude. But then her life gets out of hand because of allegations of abuse. Blanchett excels in the role of a woman who tends to appear cool. Unless she spends time with the daughter of her partner Sharon (Nina Hoss) - or stands at the conductor's desk.
"Bones and All" has chances
The drama "Bones and All" by Luca Guadagnino with Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet was also well received. The film tells the story of two outsiders who find a kind of home in their love for one another. But even though the two are cannibals, Guadagnino manages to turn "Bones and All" into a sensitive love story.
The competition film "The Banshees of Inisherin" by Martin McDonagh probably had the most laughs. Colin Farrell plays Pádraic, an Irishman whose best friend to date, Colm (Brendan Gleeson), suddenly and without reason decides to end their friendship in this black comedy. Completely irritated, Pádraic tries to rekindle the friendship and does not accept his former friend's no. He then takes drastic measures. A film with very individual characters and full of amusing dialogues.
"Saint Omer" popular with the critics
The artistic drama "Saint Omer" was popular among critics. In it, director Alice Diop tells the story of Rama (Kayije Kagame), a lecturer and writer who follows a trial against a young woman who is said to have killed her baby. Rama wants to turn it into a book project. But the trial against the Senegalese-French defendant is giving Rama emotional problems. She is shaken by memories of the complicated relationship with her own mother. "Saint Omer" is an emotional work about motherhood and racism. Diop would be only the seventh woman to win the Golden Lion since 1949.
