Venice film festival: Το Poor Things, directed by George Lanthimos and produced by the Irish company Element Pictures, won the Golden Lion.
The feminist comedy Poor Things by Giorgos Lanthimos, produced by the Irish company Element Pictures, won the Golden Lion, the top prize, at an unusual 80th Venice International Film Festival. The movie, which also qualified as a British and American production, it is done, after Neil Jordan's Michael Collins and Peter Mullan's The Magdalene Sisters, ο τρίτος ιρλανδικός τίτλος που παίρνει αυτό το πιο σημαντικό βραβείο.
Τον Χρυσό Λέοντα, το μεγάλο βραβείο του 80ου Φεστιβάλ Κινηματογράφου της Βενετίας κέρδισε ο Γιώργος Λάνθιμος για την ταινία του «Poor Things», έναν ύμνο στη γυναικεία χειραφέτηση, με πρωταγωνιστές την Έμα Στόουν, τον Γουίλεμ Νταφόε και τον Μαρκ Ράφαλο. Βασισμένος στο ομότιτλο βιβλίο του ‘Αλισντερ Γκρέι και σε σενάριο του Τόνι ΜακΝαμάρα, the Greek director reverses the myth of Frankenstein and submits a scathing essay on the freedom and joy of sex, class inequalities, individual and social self-determination, desire and love. The G. Lanthimos at the 80th Venice Film Festival: The “Poor Things” it is a film that is not easily described
"I want to thank the festival, the workshop and all partners. Πήρε κάποια χρόνια μέχρι η κινηματογραφική βιομηχανία να είναι έτοιμη για μία τέτοια ταινία» είπε ο Γιώργος Λάνθιμος παραλαμβάνοντας το βραβείο και ευχαρίστησε το συγγραφέα του βιβλίου ‘Αλισντερ Γκρέι και τον σεναριογράφο Τόνι ΜακΝαμάρα ο οποίος απουσίαζε από την τελετή λόγω της εν εξελίξει απεργίας των Αμερικανών σεναριογράφων στους οποίους ο Έλληνας σκηνοθέτης εξέφρασε τη συμπαράσταση του.
Ο Γιώργος Λάνθιμος ευχαρίστησε τη σύντροφο του, Αριάν (Λαμπέντ) που «είναι πάντα εδώ για μένα. Και πάνω απ’ όλα θέλω να ευχαριστήσω αυτό το απίστευτο πλάσμα, το χαρακτήρα της ταινίας- τη Μπέλα Μπάξτερ και βέβαια την Εμα Στόουν που είναι και αυτή ένα απίστευτο πλάσμα» δήλωσε.
Το «Poor Things» είναι μια μοντέρνα διασκευή του μύθου του Φρανκενστάιν βασισμένη στο ομότιτλο βραβευμένο βιβλίο του ‘Αλισντερ Γκρέι που κυκλοφόρησε το 1992. Η ιστορία, που εκτυλίσσεται στη βικτοριανή εποχή, αντικαθιστά το τέρας με την Μπέλα, μια όμορφη νεαρή νυμφομανή, η οποία αυτοκτονεί για να ξεφύγει από τον βίαιο άντρα της. Bella is brought back to life by an eccentric scientist, Godwin Baxter, giving her, however, the mind of a baby. Thirsty to know what life is, breaks up with Duncan, a competent and morally impaired lawyer, on a wandering adventure. Freed from the prejudices and barriers of her time, Bella seeks to fight for equality and freedom.
"It is a film that is not easily described. It's difficult for me to explain what it is" said Giorgos Lanthimos at the press conference held on September 1st as part of the Venice festival, after the press screenings. “We based it on the novel, we changed its structure a bit, however we stayed pretty loyal. Answer’ when I read the book, I knew the movie would focus on Bella's character, i’ follow her own perspective. A free-thinking woman, without fear and prejudice, who experiences the world on her own terms. This is the direction we followed in the film. But also humor, the heroes, The style, the essence of the novel is in the film," he added.
The awards of the 80th Venice Film Festival in detail:
OFFICIAL COMPETITION SECTION
Golden Lion: "Poor Things" by Giorgos Lanthimos
Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize: "Evil Does not Exist" by Riyusuke Hamaguchi
Best Director Award: Matteo Garone for "Io Capitano"
Coppa Volpi Best Actress Award: Kelly Spinney for Sofia Coppola's Priscilla
Coppa Volpi Best Actor Award: Peter Sarsgaard for Michel Franco's "Memory".
Screenplay Award: Pablo Laraine & Guillermo Calderon for "El Conde"
Special Commission Award: "Green Border" by Agnieszka Holland
Marcello Mastroianni Award for New Talent: to Seydu Sar, protagonist of "Io Capitano" by Matteo Garone
Award for Best First Film LION OF THE FUTURE – LOUIS OF LAURENTIS: "Love is a Gun" by Lee Hong-shi
ORIZZONTI DEPARTMENT (horizons)
Best Movie: "Explanation for Everything" by Gabor Rice
Directing Award: Mika Gustafsson on "Paradise is Burning"
Special Prize of the Commission: "Una Sterminata Domenica" by Alain Paroni
Best Actress: Margarita Rosa di Francisco for "El Paraiso"
Best Actor: Targel Boldt-Erden for "City of Wind"
Best Screenplay: "El Paraiso" by Enrico Maria Artale
Best Short Film: "A Short Trip" by Erenik Bekiri
Audience Award Armani Beauty: "Felicita" by Michaela Ramazzotti
IMMERSIVE AWARDS
Venice Immersive Special Grand Jury Prize: "Emperor" by Marion Berger and Ila Cohen
Venice Immersive Special Grand Jury Prize: "Flow" by Adrian Lockman
Venice Immersive Best Experience: "Songs For a Passerby" by Celine Demain
Venice Classics Best Restored Film: "Ohhikoshi" by Shinji Shomai
Venice Classics Best Documentary on Cinema: "Thank You Very Much" by Alex Braverman
Congratulatory messages from the Hellenic Film Center and the Thessaloniki Film Festival to George Lanthimos
The Hellenic Film Center (EKK) and the Thessaloniki Film Festival warmly congratulate George Lanthimos, but also the editor's longtime close partner, George Mavropsaridis, for the awarding of the film "Poor Things" with the Golden Lion of the 80th Venice Film Festival.
"This important award honors Giorgos Lanthimos personally∙ at the same time, it certifies the international impact of his overall work. YKK feels particularly happy because Giorgos Lanthimos was one of the pioneers of the new generation of Greek and Greek creators, who, with their talent and concerns, the quality and extroversion of their work proved in practice that Greek cinema and its creators can stand equally on the international map of the cinematographic and audio-visual industry" states in its announcement the Cypriot Greek Film Festival.
The Thessaloniki Film Festival congratulates Giorgos Lanthimos on his great success, noting in his post on social media that "the awarding of the Golden Lion of Venice to “Poor Things”, confirms the talent of Lanthimos, who is now at the forefront of the most important creators of contemporary cinema!». He also congratulates the film's editor and constant collaborator Lanthimos, George Mavropsaridis. "This great distinction reveals the dynamics of Greek cinema creators and technicians, who in recent years have deservedly won an enviable position on the world cinema map" the Festival's announcement points out.