Documentary about Gaza provokes emotions and tears in the audience, but the award for Best Film at Venice goes to Jarmusch's family drama with an odd dynamic
In a celebrated night at the Venice Film Festival, American filmmaker Jim Jarmusch's latest offering, "Father Mother Sister Brother", emerged as the festival's top winner in the main competition. The film, a humorous portrayal of awkwardness and guilt, received positive reviews from critics and industry insiders alike.
"Father Mother Sister Brother" marks Jarmusch's first time competing at the Venice Film Festival. The film, which features an ensemble cast including Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver, and Tom Waits, was praised for its trademark wry humor and tender family triptych.
Meanwhile, David Pablos's "En el Camino" clinched the top prize in the Orizzonti ("Horizons") section of the festival. In a separate category, Gianfranco Rosi's "Sotto le Nuvole" (Below the Clouds) won a special jury prize.
Another notable winner was "The Smashing Machine", directed by Benny Safdie, which took home the third-place directing prize. The film, which stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, is a compellingly gritty and offbeat biopic about mixed martial arts pioneer Mark Kerr. The producer of the film is A24, with production companies including Magnetic Fields Entertainment and Out for the Count also involved.
The festival also saw the premiere of "The Voice of Hind Rajab", a dramatised re-telling of Hind Rajab Hamada's ordeal after she was trapped in a car that came under fire while fleeing Gaza City. The film, which was given the grand jury second prize, boasts executive producers such as Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Jonathan Glazer, and Alfonso Cuaron.
Italy's Toni Servillo won the best actor award for his role in Paolo Sorrentino's "La Grazia". During his acceptance speech, Servillo expressed admiration for activists trying to break Israel's siege of Gaza.
The Venice Film Festival is renowned as an important launch platform for big-budget international productions and arthouse films. Several previous winners of the festival's top prize, the Golden Lion, have gone on to win Oscars, such as "Nomadland" and "Joker".
In a significant move, an open letter signed by around 2,000 cinema insiders called on festival organisers to denounce the Israeli government over its offensive in Gaza. However, the festival jury, led by Alexander Payne, did not award "The Voice of Hind Rajab" with the Golden Lion.
Hind Rajab's story, according to director Kaouther Ben Hania, "is not hers alone". Rajab's ordeal serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the courage of those caught in its midst.
As the festival draws to a close, the spotlight now shifts to the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival, where many of these films will continue their journey on the global film circuit.
