Jim Jarmusch's "Father Mother Sister Brother" has unexpectedly clinched the Golden Lion for Best Film at the 82nd Venice Film Festival. The awards ceremony concluded the 10-day festival held at Venice Lido in Italy.
The film, a three-part meditation on familial relationships, stars Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Tom Waits and Charlotte Rampling. It explores the complexities between parents and their adult children through three stories set in different countries. "Father" unfolds in the Northeast U.S., "Mother" in Dublin, and "Sister Brother" in Paris.
Jarmusch, a veteran of American independent cinema, expressed his gratitude during his acceptance speech, "Thank you for appreciating our quiet film". He acknowledged that filmmakers are not typically motivated by competition but expressed sincere appreciation for the unexpected honor.
While "Father Mother Sister Brother" garnered largely positive reviews, it was not necessarily considered a frontrunner for the top prize. Many critics had instead anticipated that "The Voice of Hind Rajab," a harrowing account of the killing of a five-year-old Palestinian girl during the Gaza war, would take home the Golden Lion. Ultimately, "The Voice of Hind Rajab," directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, received the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize.
Benny Safdie won the Silver Lion for Best Director for "The Smashing Machine," a biographical drama starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as mixed martial arts pioneer Mark Kerr. Safdie expressed amazement at being included among the "giants of the past and the giants here this year". He also thanked Kerr, his subject, as well as his stars Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson, for their trust and commitment to the film.
The Special Jury Prize was awarded to Gianfranco Rosi for his black-and-white documentary "Below the Clouds," which portrays life in Naples, a city marked by earthquakes and volcanic threats.
Other awards included:
Anuparna Roy, winner of the Best Director prize in the Horizons section for "Songs of Forgotten Trees," dedicated part of her acceptance speech to the conflict in Gaza, stating, "Every child deserves peace, freedom, liberation, and Palestine is no exception".
Several films were shut out at the festival, including a trio of Netflix productions: Kathryn Bigelow's nuclear thriller "A House of Dynamite," Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein" retelling, and Noah Baumbach's comedy-drama "Jay Kelly". Park Chan-wook's “No Other Choice” was also among those that left empty-handed.
