Venezia 80, the festival of emotions

Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos' "Poor things!" wins the Golden Lion (Italian “Leone D’Oro”) at Venice 80, the 80th International Film Festival organized by La Biennale di Venezia, which this year also saw great Italian films in competition. And one of them, "Io capitano," by Matteo Garrone cashed a Silver Lion - Best Director Award and the Marcello Mastroianni Award to a young and rising actor, Seydou Sarr, a 21-year-old Senegalese actor in his debut in front of the camera.

Two totally different films: Lanthimos’ Poor Things represent the fable, the imaginative. They are placed in a gothic, past time, vaguely defined, but at the same time they are modern Frankensteins. Among the “Poor Things” the protagonist is a woman - American actress Emma Stone - rejuvenated, reconstructed, with no memory, no inhibitions, and therefore free to live any aspect of her new existence as she sees fit, from sexuality to choices of where to live, with whom, and in what way.

"Io Capitano" on the other hand, recounts the drama of journeys of hope from Africa to Europe, realistically investigating the nightmare that all those who decide to leave home in the hope of a better world go through often encountering death, certainly violence.

Nonetheless, Venice is also glamour, fashion, trends in the week of the Film Festival. Despite the absences, due to the strike in the world of Hollywood cinema, the most elegant or improbable outfits were seen, neutral colors as well as garish ones, classics and exasperations. A feast for the eyes, in short, as every year, in and out of theaters, but mostly of emotions, looking forward to a new kermesse.

Here are the other major awards: Silver Lion - Grand Jury Prize to "Aku Wa Sonzai Shinai" ("Evil Does Not Exist") by Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Japan); Coppa Volpi for best female performance to Cailee Spaeny in the film "Priscilla" by Sofia Coppola (United States, Italy): Coppa Volpi for best male performance to Peter Sarsgaard in the film "Memory" by Michel Franco (Mexico, United States); Best Screenplay Award to Guillermo Calderón and Pablo Larraín for the film "El conde" by Pablo Larraín (Chile); Special Jury Prize to "Zielona granica" ("The Green Border") by Agnieszka Holland (Poland, Czech Republic, France, Belgium).