ISLAMABAD: American filmmaker Jim Jarmusch pulled off a surprise at the Venice Film Festival, winning the Golden Lion for his understated family drama Father Mother Sister Brother. The film, starring Adam Driver, Vicky Krieps and Cate Blanchett, edged out heavyweights including Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice and Kaouther Ben Hania’s Gaza docudrama, The Voice of Hind Rajab, which won the Silver Lion.
‘All of us here who make films are not motivated by competition,’ Jarmusch said while accepting the prize. ‘But I truly appreciate this unexpected honor.’
Gaza’s voice echoes in Venice
Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab moved audiences with its devastating reconstruction of the January 2024 attempt to rescue a 6-year-old girl trapped in Gaza City. Using real audio from Hind’s desperate call to the Palestine Red Crescent, the film earned a 22-minute standing ovation.
‘The voice of Hind is the voice of Gaza itself,’ Ben Hania said, dedicating the award to humanitarian workers and calling for an end to the war: ‘Enough is enough.’
Acting and directing honours
Chinese actor Xin Zhilei won best actress for The Sun Rises on Us All, while Italian veteran Toni Servillo was named best actor for La Grazia. Benny Safdie took the best director prize for The Smashing Machine, his Mark Kerr MMA biopic that has already sparked Oscar buzz for star Dwayne Johnson.
Screenplay and jury awards
French duo Valérie Donzelli and Gilles Marchand won best screenplay for their gig-economy drama At Work. Italian documentarian Gianfranco Rosi received the special jury prize for his lyrical Naples documentary Below the Clouds. Rising Swiss actor Luna Wedler was honoured with the Marcello Mastroianni Award for her role in Silent Friend.
Horizons section highlights
In Venice’s Horizons sidebar, En El Camino, a Mexican trucking drama, won best film, while Indian director Anuparna Roy took best director for her debut Songs of Forgotten Trees. Roy used her speech to highlight the plight of Palestinians, saying: ‘Every child deserves peace, freedom, liberation, and Palestine is no exception.’
Tribute to Giorgio Armani
The closing ceremony also paid tribute to the late Giorgio Armani, a longtime festival supporter, with a standing ovation from the audience. ‘Thank you, Giorgio Armani, for teaching us that creativity lives in the spaces where disciplines meet,’ Italian architect Carlo Ratti said.
Oscar buzz beyond Venice
Though Kathryn Bigelow, Guillermo del Toro, and Yorgos Lanthimos left empty-handed, their films remain strong contenders for the awards season. Venice has often been a launchpad for Oscar success, with past Golden Lion winners including Birdman, The Shape of Water, and Nomadland.
