Venice 79 Winners

By José Alberto Hermosillo

Golden Lion for Best Film: “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” Laura Poitras
Grand Jury Prize: “Saint Omer,” Alice Diop
Silver Lion for Best Director: “Bones and All,” Luca Guadagnino
Special Jury Prize: “No Bears,” Jafar Panahi
Best Screenplay: “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Martin McDonagh
Volpi Cup for Best Actress: “Tár,” Cate Blanchett
Volpi Cup for Best Actor: “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Colin Farrell
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor: “Bones and All,” Taylor Russell

HORIZONS
Best Film: “World War III,” Houman Seyyedi
Best Director: “Vera,” Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel
Special Jury Prize: “Bread and Salt,” Damian Kocur
Best Actress: “Vera,” Vera Gemma
Best Actor: “World War III,” Mohsen Tanabandeh
Best Screenplay: “Blanquita,” Fernando Guzzoni
Best Short Film: “Snow in September,” Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir

LION OF THE FUTURE
Luigi de Laurentiis Award for Best Debut Feature: “Saint Omer,” Alice Diop

HORIZONS EXTRA
Audience Award: “Nezouh,” Soudade Kaadan

VENICE CLASSICS
Best Documentary of Cinema: “Fragments of Paradise,” K.D. Davison
Best Restored Film: “Branded to Kill,” Seijun Suzuki

VENICE IMMERSIVE
Best Immersive Experience: “The Man Who Couldn’t Leave,” Chen Singing
Grand Jury Prize: “From the Main Square,” Pedro Harres
Special Jury Prize: “Eggscape,” German Heller

VENICE DAYS (announced earlier)
Cinema of the Future Award: “The Maiden,” Graham Foy
Director’s Award: “Wolf and Dog,” Cláudia Varejão
People’s Choice Award: “Blue Jean,” Georgia Oakley

CRITICS’ WEEK (announced earlier)
Grand Prize: “Eismayer,” David Wagner
Special Mention: “Anhell69,” Theo Montoya
Audience Award: “Margini,” Niccolò Falsetti
Verona Film Club Award: “Anhell69,” Theo Montoya
Mario Serandrei – Hotel Saturnia Award for Best Technical Contribution: “Anhell69,” Theo Montoya
Best Short Film: “Puiet,” Lorenzo Fabbro and Bronte Stahl
Best Director (Short Film): “Albertine Where Are You?,” Maria Guidone
Best Technical Contribution (Short Film): “Reginetta,” Federico Russotto

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WOMEN RULED AT VENICE FILM FESTIVAL 2021

By José Alberto Hermosillo

With a landslide of awards, women auteurs took the hefty prizes of Venice Film Festival 2021. 

Jury’s President Bong Joon-ho (“Parasite”) announced that by unanimous decision, the Golden Lion award went to the French woman director Andrey Diwan for her well-crafted and controversial film “Happening/L'événement.” The film is set in 1963, tackles the story of a woman going through an abortion experience in France while the procedure was still illegal. 

Golden Lion winner film “Happening/ L'événement.”

Best Director award went to Jane Campion, the first female director who won Best Picture or Palme d’Or in Cannes for “The Piano,” in 1992. In her speech, Campion mentioned her gratitude to the people of New Zealand for helping under challenging times during the pandemic in the making of the highly praised “The Power of the Dog.” The modern Western is a strong candidate to be nominated for Best Picture for the Oscars, 2022.

The Copa Volpi for Best Actress went to Penélope Crúz for “Parallel Mothers/Madres paralelas.” This film marks Crúz's most recent collaboration with Pedro Almodovar. The story of two single mothers giving birth ignites the dialogue on motherhood, women’s repression during the Spanish dictatorship, and above all, survival.

Another big revelation of the night was the distinction to the American actress/writer/director Maggie Gyllenhaal (“Crazy Heart,” “The Dark Knight,”), who won for Best Screenplay for her film “The Lost Daughter.”

In the parallel section, Orizzonti Awards, women took center stage, winning the top prize Laurvnas Bareisa for the film “Pilgrims.” The suspenseful movie made in Lithuania talks about two women witnessing a gruesome crime. 

Roberto Benigni wins the Lifetime Achievement at Venice 2021

The Lifetime Achievement went to the legendary Italian performer, writer, and director Roberto Benigni, who won an Oscar for “Life is Beautiful.” He also worked in both of the live-action Italian versions of "Pinocchio." In 2002, he directed and played Pinocchio, and in 2019, directed by Matteo Garrone, Benigni is Geppetto.

Many of these award-winning films can capitalize their prizes in an early campaign running for the Oscars 2022 .

THE VENICE FILM FESTIVAL 2021 AWARDS:

Golden Lion for Best Film: “Happening,” Audrey Diwan

Grand Jury Prize: “The Hand of God,” Paolo Sorrentino

Best Director: “The Power of the Dog,” Jane Campion

Best Actress: “Parallel Mothers,” Penélope Cruz

Best Actor: “On the Job: The Missing 8,” John Arcilla

Best Screenplay: “The Lost Daughter,” Maggie Gyllenhaal

Special Jury Prize: “Il Buco,” Michelangelo Frammartino

 

Marcello Mastroianni Award, Best Young Actor: “The Hand of God,” Filippo Scotti.

ORIZZONTI AWARDS

 

Best Film: “Pilgrims/Il paradiso del pavone,” Laurynas Bareisa

Best Director: “Full Time,” Eric Gravel

Special Jury Prize: “El Gran Movimiento,” Kiro Russo

Best Actress: “Full Time,” Laure Calamy

Best Actor: “White Building,” Piseth Chhun

Best Screenplay: “107 Mothers,” Ivan Ostrochovský, Peter Kerekes

Best Short Film: “Los Huesos,” Cristóbal León, Joaquín Cociña

 

Best actor, Piseth Chhun, "White Building," Cambodia

LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS AWARD

Best First Feature: “Imaculat,” Monica Stan, George Chiper-Lillemark

 

VENICE VR EXPANDED AWARDS

Grand Jury Prize for Best VR Work: “Goliath: Playing With Reality,” Barry Gene Murphy, May Abdalla

Best VR Experience: “Le Bal de Paris de Blanca Li,” Blanca Li
Best VR Story: “End of Night,” David Adler

 

Armani Beauty Audience Award: “The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic,” by Teemu Nikki.

Penelope Cruz winning Best Actress at Venice 2021

Paolo Sorrentino Jury Prize winner, Venice Film Festival, THE HAND OF GOD/È stata la mano di Dio. Film critic Jose Alberto Hermosillo www.FestivalinLA.com.

 

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 Festival in LA © 2021

ROMA WINS VENEZIA 75 - AWARDS

By José Alberto Hermosillo 

The Mexican film "Roma" directed by Alfonso Cuarón wins the Golden Lion at the 75th edition of the Venice Film Festival. 

Alfonso Cuaron, Golden Lion @Bienale #Venezia75

 The award to "Roma" was expected for its rave reviews and the quality of its gorgeous black and white cinematography, a film also shot by the Mexican auteur who had the vision to filmed his childhood, during the 1970's, faithfully to his memories.

Alfonso Cuaron and the cast of Roma, Venezia 75.

The other Mexican director Carlos Raygadas got mixed reviews for his lavished love triangle film "Our Time." 

The president of the jury was last year's winner Mexican director Guillermo del Toro ("The Shape of Water"), who said, to give away the awards, the jury had to view the films from the audience point-of-view.

Venezia 75 - Awards

Golden Lion: ROMA, Alfonso Cuarón, México.
Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize: The Favourite, Yorgos Lanthimos
Silver Lion Best Director: Jacques Audiard, The Sisters Brothers
Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Volpi Cup for Best Actor: Willem Dafoe, At Eternity's Gate
Best Screenplay Award: Joel & Ethan Coen, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Special Jury Prize: The Nightingale, directed by Jennifer Kent 
Marcello Mastroianni Award: Baykali Ganambarr for The Nightingale.

Horizons Awards

Best Film: Kraben Rahu, by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng
Best Director: Emir Baigazin for Ozen.
Special Jury Prize: Anons, by Mahmut Fazil Coskun
Best Actress: Natalya Kudryashova, The Man Who Surprised Everyone
Best Actor: Kais Nashif for Tel Aviv on Fire.
Best Screenplay: Jinpa, Pema Tseden.

Lion of the Future
Lion of the Future Luigi De Laurentiis Award for a Debut Film:   
The Day I Lost My Shadow, directed by Soudade Kaadan.

Venice Classics
Best Documentary on Cinema: The Great Buster: A Celebration, Peter Bogdanovich.
Best Restored Film: La Notte di San Lorenzo / The Night of San Lorenzo - Paolo and Vittorio Taviani.

Venice VR Best VR Film: Spheres, directed by Eliza McNitt.
Best VR Experience Award: Buddy VR, by Chuck Chae.
Best VR Story Award: I'iIe des morts, by Benjamin Nuel.

Roma and Ten New Mexican Trailers

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Desde Allá: Confronts the Macho Stereotypes in Venezuela

By Jose Alberto Hermosillo

The macho stereotypes of Latino men had never been shown so vividly and questionably in a movie until “From Afar” or “Desde allá” came into the game.

“From Afar” is a sensual, risqué, and sexually divergent. It is a hyper-realistic motion picture that illustrates how raw and volatile the sexual life of Latin men is.

Lorenzo Vigas, AFI FEST, photo by Jose Alberto Hermosillo, Copyrights 2016 

 

The winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival had a sold-out screening at the AFI FEST 2015 in Los Angeles, where we met the visionary director Lorenzo Vigas.

Lorenzo Vigas, director, “Desde allá.” Photo Jose Alberto Hermosillo

 

Vigas’s first work is masterful and very realistic. He takes us on a trip inside the box of the conglomerated geography of Caracas - showing the massive contrast between the affluent areas and the slums of the city, where young men steal, do drugs, and beat themselves to death - while the rich pass by indifferently.

The exciting camera work depicts the city as crude and depressing, highlighting its social divisions and contrasting environments.

 

The action starts with the fetishism and sexual deviations of an uneasy middle-aged denture artisan named Armando, marvelously portrayed by the renowned Chilean actor Alfredo Castro (Tony Manero, The Clan, Neruda, “No”). 

Alfredo Castro is one of the best actors in Latin America. His performance in “Desde allá” is immaculate.

Armando’s family is wealthy, but he lives as a middle-class person in a strategically located apartment downtown.

Armando, afraid of intimacy, has an infatuation for young guys, whom he pays to show their naked backs while he enjoys masturbating. 

The rule is to watch, not touch; everything must be done “From Afar.”

 

When Armando bumps into a young guy named Elder, extraordinarily played by newcomer Luis Silva, his world is turned upside down.  

Elder has all the characteristics of the traditional macho, tough Latino man with nothing to lose, but the need for money leads him to prostitution because of his economic condition.

 

 

Silvio imparts liveliness, impetuosity, sensuality, and fresh air into the film. 

 

Natural obsessions and social prejudices severely affect newly made relationships.

The tension builds up at Elder’s sister’s Quinceañera when he and Armando show up elegantly dressed for the “Barrio’s” celebration.  

 

“Desde Allá” German poster.

Elder, naively, doesn’t know how to show his gratitude. After a few drinks, he publicly expresses his feelings for his benefactor, becoming a new world of discovery and contradictions.

 

Homophobia rules the streets, and people see the same gender love as treacherous.  

 

They struggle to become intimate in the bedroom, and the mystery breaks the enchantment when the couple has sex for the first time.

 

“Desde allá” French poster.

 

Armando is obsessed with viewing naked men but cannot relate to anyone physically, placing emotional barriers on the people who are rare to him.

 

“Desde allá” Italian poster.

 

The Elder is impulsive and uses his body to express intense gratitude and contempt.

“Desde allá” accurately and seamlessly handles the universal themes of loneliness, lack of communication, and fear of expressing emotions, which are paradigms of our times.

 

The intricate screenplay, written by award-winning Mexican screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (“Babel” and “The Burning Plain”), is based on an original story by Lorenzo Vigas.

 

 

The hyperrealistic style of “Desde Allá” is strident. It exposes the characters in focus, blurs the background, washes out the colors, and creates a closer connection between the actors and the audience.

The new fearless filmmakers pouring out of Latin America are revolutionizing how stories are told on the big screen. Many of those hyper-realistic movies maximize artistic value and lower production costs.

The award-winning Latino filmmakers that are taking the world by storm: Carlos Reygadas’ “Post Tenebras Lux,” Amat Escalante’s “Heli,” Gabriel Ripstein’s “600 Milles,” Michel Franco’s “Chronic,” Jairo Bustamante’s “Ixcanul,” Ciro Guerra’s “The Embrace of the Serpent,” Sebastián Silva’s “The Maid,” Lisandro Alonso’s “Jauja,” Sebastián Cordero’s “Cronicas,” Dana Rotberg “White Lies,” Alvaro Brechner’s “Mr. Kaplan,” Anna Muylaert’s “The Second Mother,” and David Pablos’ “Las elegidas/The Chosen Ones.”

 

“Desde allá” flows with authenticity and realism, showing the characters’ complexity with a humanist lens. It expands the cultural horizons of the viewers who may think, in this day and age, that to love another person from the same genre is insane, immoral, and, in some countries, a crime.

 

This Venezuelan film raises many questions: How much do homophobia and prejudices affect a person’s growth? Why do so many stigmas, discrimination, and stereotypes affect our society? How far can you go for someone you love? How would you love someone “from afar” if you were so close and afraid to be in love?

 

After the horrific attack in Orlando on the LGBTQ community, the timing of this movie from Venezuela couldn’t be any better because “Desde allá” puts the finger in the wound.

Desde Allá - From Afar, official trailer (2015) Venice Film Festival

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