VENICE: Twenty-one films are competing for the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival’s closing ceremony on Saturday. The selection includes a heart-wrenching docudrama about the Gaza war, a wrestling-themed love story starring Dwayne Johnson, and a darkly satirical South Korean thriller. American director Alexander Payne heads the jury that will announce the best picture prize during the ceremony starting at 1700 GMT.
“The Voice of Hind Rajab” has emerged as a strong contender for the top prize due to its powerful impact on audiences. The film dramatizes the true story of five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab Hamada, who became trapped in a car with her dead relatives in Gaza City in January 2024. Tunisian-French filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania incorporates real recordings of the child pleading with rescuers as Israeli tanks approached her location.
The documentary has attracted significant Hollywood support with Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix serving as executive producers alongside Oscar-winning directors Jonathan Glazer and Alfonso Cuaron. Following its premiere, which received a 23-minute standing ovation, the production team faced thousands of intimidating hate messages according to Ben Hania.
The Gaza conflict has dominated discussions at this year’s festival, with approximately 2,000 cinema professionals signing an open letter urging organizers to denounce Israel’s offensive. Thousands of protesters marched to the festival entrance on Saturday, highlighting the political dimensions of this year’s event.
Venice remains a crucial platform for both big-budget international productions and arthouse films seeking distribution. Previous Golden Lion winners like “Nomadland” and “Joker” have achieved subsequent Oscar success, underscoring the festival’s importance in the awards season landscape.
Other notable contenders include Dwayne Johnson’s “The Smashing Machine”, which marks his first serious dramatic role as mixed martial arts pioneer Mark Kerr. South Korean director Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice” and Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos’s “Bugonia” featuring Emma Stone are also considered frontrunners for the top prize.
The festival showcased Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix adaptation of “Frankenstein” and Kathryn Bigelow’s political drama “A House of Dynamite”, her first film in eight years. Critics have responded positively to the overall quality of films presented at this year’s edition, maintaining Venice’s reputation as a key launching pad for award-season contenders. – AFP