“All Beauty and Bloodshed” by Laura Poitras won the “Golden Lion” at the 79th Venice Film Festival, which ended with a Saturday evening ceremony where Julianne Moore and a jury chaired by the actress announced the winners, News.ro reports.

Documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras won the Golden Lion in Venice for her film about the journey of New York underground photographer Nan Goldin and her struggle with opiates in the US.

At 58, the Boston-based filmmaker is picking up her second major award, following the Oscar for best documentary for Four Citizens (2015), co-starring Edward Snowden.

Romania was present with the film “Spre Nord/ To the North” (2022, directed by Michnea Mincan), which is included in the Orizzonti competition section this year, and “Anhell69” (2022, directed by Teo Montoya), which is participating in the Settimana Internazionale della Critica. section.

Jafar Panahi, a director imprisoned in Iran, received a special jury prize

The Venice Film Festival sent a political signal against censorship and Iranian authorities by awarding a special jury prize to Jafar Panahi on Saturday, showing that it is not abandoning the director, who has been imprisoned since July.

In his absence, the audience applauded the director for a long time.

A major figure in Iranian cinema who was unable to attend to defend his film No Bears, Panahi, 62, offers mise en abymea creator imprisoned in his own country to better condemn “oppression”.

Already won the Golden Lion in Venice in 2000 for Le Cercle and the screenplay award at Cannes in 2018 for Trois Visages, three years after the Golden Bear in Berlin for Tehran Taxi, which began as assistant Abbas Kiarostami is a regular in selections.

Meena Cavani, one of the actresses in his film, read a message on stage: “We are all here because of the power of cinema and because of Jafar Panahi.”

Imprisoned in July after being convicted of “propaganda against the regime”, Panahi last week sent a letter to the festival, signed by his colleague Mohammad Rasulof, also detained, accusing Tehran of treating independent filmmakers “like criminals”.

“The history of Iranian cinema is a testimony to the constant and active presence of independent directors who fought against censorship and ensured the survival of this art. Among them, some are forbidden to shoot films, others were exiled or placed in isolation,” they condemned in the letter.

Colin Farrell and Cate Blanchett, awarded acting awards

Australian actress Cate Blanchett won her second performance award at Venice for her role as conductor Lydia Tarr in Todd Field’s Tar.

At 53, the actress, known for her feminist commitment, plays an exceptional role in this drama that raises contemporary questions about identity, the abuse of power or the “culture of cancellation”.

Colin Farrell won the Coppa Volpi for Best Actor at the 79th Venice Film Festival for his role as a farmer in the dark comedy Banshee of Inishreen.

In front of the camera of his compatriot Martin McDonagh, the 46-year-old Irishman shines in a parable about the violent end of friendship in the bucolic setting of an isolated island in Ireland in the 1920s, during the War of Independence.

The actor, who was not at the Lido to accept the award, sent a video message from Los Angeles saying he was “absolutely shocked and delighted”.

List of winners

VENICE 79

“Golden Lion” for the best film – “All Beauty and Bloodshed” by Laura Poitras

Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize – “Saint Omer” by Alice Diop

Silver Lion for Best Director – Luca Guadagnino for “Bones and All”

Coppa Volpi for Best Actor — Colin Farrell for Banshee of Inishreen

Coppa Volpi for the best actress – Cate Blanchett for the film “Tar”

Best Screenplay – Martin McDonagh for Banshee of Inishreen

Special Jury Prize – “Without Bears”, Jafar Panahi

Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor/Actress – Taylor Russell for Bones and All

Horizons

Best Film: “The Third World War” – Hooman Seyedi

Best director: “Faith” – Titza Kovi, Rainer Frimmel

Special prize of the Orizzonti jury “Bread and Salt” – Damian Kotsur

Best Actress: Faith – Vera Gemma

Best Actor: “The Third World War” – Mohsen Thanabande

Best screenplay: “Blankita” – Fernando Guzzoni

Best short film: “Snow in September” – Lhagvadulam Purev-Ochir

LION OF THE FUTURE

Luigi de Laurentiis Award for Best Feature Debut: Saint Omer – Alice Diop

Additional horizons

Audience Award: “Nezuh” – Sudade Kaadan

Venetian classic

Best Documentary: Debris of Paradise – KD Davison

Best Restored Film: Mark to Kill – Seijun Suzuki

Venice Immersive

Best immersive experience: The Man Who Couldn’t Leave – Chen Xingying

Jury Grand Prix: “From the Main Square” – Pedro Jarres

Special Jury Prize: “Egg Landscape” – Herman Heller

Days of Venice

“Cinema of the Future” Award: “The Virgin” – Graham Foy

Award for directorial work: “The Wolf and the Dog” – Claudia Varejao

Audience Award: “Blue Jean” – Georgia Oakley

International criticism week

Grand Prix: “Eismeier” – David Wagner

Special mention: “Anhell69” – Theo Montoya

Audience Award: “Margini” – Niccolò Falsetti

Verona Film Club Award: “Anhell69” – Theo Montoya

Mario Serandrei – Hotel Saturnia Best Technical Contribution Award: “Anhell69” – Teo Montoya

Best short film: “Chicken” – Lorenzo Fabbro, Bronte Stahl

Best director (short film): “Albertine Where Are You?” – Maria Guidone

Best Technical Contribution (Short): Reginetta – Federico Russotto