VENICE, Italy, Sept 10, (Agencies): Russian director Alexander Sokurov’s “Faust,” loosely based on Goethe’s classic German text, won the Golden Lion for best picture at the Venice film festival on Saturday.
The best director Silver Lion went to Chinese film maker Shangjun Cai for “People Mountain People Sea.”
Italian immigration movie “Terraferma,” directed by Emanuele Crialese, picked up the special jury award.
As expected, Irish actor Michael Fassbender won the best actor prize for his acclaimed performance in “Shame,” Steve McQueen’s tale of a sex-obsessed young professional living in New York.
Fassbender, seen as one of the rising stars in independent cinema, also appeared in another Venice competition entry this year, David Cronenberg’s “A Dangerous Method.”
Best actress went to China’s Deanie Ip for her protrayal of an aging maid in Ann Hui’s “Tao Jie” (A Simple Life).
The best screenplay prize went to Greek drama “Alps,” a strange tale of a group of actors who play the role of recently deceased people to ease their relatives’ grief.
“Wuthering Heights,” British director Andrea Arnold’s adaptation of the Emily Bronte novel, won the technical award for best cinematography.
Outside the main competition, singer Madonna presented her second feature film as director, “W.E.,” about a modern-day woman who becomes obsessed with Wallis Simpson and her love for King Edward VIII.
And Steven Soderbergh assembled an all-star cast for “Contagion,” a story about the spread of disease and fear around the world featuring Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion Cotillard, Jude Law, Matt Damon and Kate Winslet.
Hollywood veteran Al Pacino also hit the red carpet earlier in the festival for his documentary “Wilde Salome” and to receive a special award.
“Faust” was one of the critics’ top choices going into the 23 in-competition films and was selected Saturday by the jury headed by Darren Aronofsky, whose “Black Swan” opened Venice last year.
The grotesque film is the final instalment of Sokurov’s cinematic tetralogy on the nature of power, following his acclaimed fictional portraits of Adolf Hitler, Vladimir Lenin and Emperor Hirohito.
Sokurov is the second Russian director ever to win the Golden Lion, after it was awarded to Andrei Zviaguintsev for “The Return” in 2003.
Meanwhile, acclaimed Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To has abandoned his trademark action thrillers — at least for now — to tackle a story inspired by the global financial crisis.
His latest effort, “Life Without Principle,” tracks the days leading up to, and the day of, a dramatic plunge at the Hong Kong stock market. It made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Crisis
“Financial crisis is a theme right now, there are many stock markets in the world, and I felt like Hong Kong has become a casino,” To told reporters in Venice.
“In the last 2-3 years, people have changed their morals. They are more and more interested in money,” he said.
The story follows three characters whose lives intersect amid the financial turmoil: bank teller Teresa, played by Hong Kong singer-turned-actress Denise Ho; a loan shark named Panther, played by veteran actor Lau Ching-wan; and a police inspector, Cheung Jin Fong, played by Taiwanese actor-singer Richie Jen.
The movie is shot in a style that is partly serious, partly caper-comic — or, as To put it, “this film is a bit realistic but also fantasy.”
“In the writing, I try to find humor,” To explained. “I certainly don’t want to make a photocopy of reality.”
The director is most famous for action thrillers such as “Breaking News” or “The Election.” He acknowledged that “Life Withour Principle” represents a change from his normal style and said he was awaiting for the audience’s reaction.
“I want to know how the public takes it and hear if they will accept my change,” To said.
The movie was the last to screen in competition before the festival announces the winner of the Golden Lion on Saturday.
Awards
Best Film Golden Lion
“Faust” by Alexander Sokurov (Russia)
Best Director Silver Lion
Shangjun Cai for “People Mountain People Sea” (China)
Special Jury Prize
“Terraferma” by Emanuele Crialese (Italy)
Best First Feature
“La-Bas” by Guido Lombardi (Italy)
Best Actress
Deanie Ip for “A Simple Life” (Hong Kong)
Best Actor
Michael Fassbender for “Shame” (Britain)
Emerging Performer
Shota Sometani and Fumi Nikaidou for “Himizu” (Japan)
Best Screenplay
“Alpis” (Alps) by Yorgos Lanthimos (Greece)
Best Cinematography
“Wuthering Heights” directed by Andrea Arnold (Britain)
Orizzonti Award (full-length films):
Kotoko by Shinya Tsukamoto (Japan)
Special Orizzonti Jury Prize (full-length films):
Whores’ Glory di Michael Glawogger (Austria, Germania)
Orizzonti Award:
Accidentes Gloriosos (medium-length films) by Mauro Andrizzi and Marcus Lindeen (Sweden)
Orizzonti Award (short films):
In attesa dell’avvento by Felice D’Agostino and Arturo Lavorato (Italia)
Special Mentions:
O Le Tulafale (The Orator) by Tusi Tamasese (New Zealand, Samoa)
All The Lines Flow Out by Charles LIM Yi Yong (Singapore)
Controcampo Award (for narrative feature-length films)
Scialla! by Francesco Bruni
Controcampo Award (for short films)
A Chjana by Jonas Carpignano
Controcampo Doc Award
Pugni chiusi by Fiorella Infascelli
Special Mentions:
Black Block by Carlo Augusto Bachschmidt
Francesco Di Giacomo for the cinematography of Pugni chiusi
Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement
Marco Bellocchio
Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award 2011
Al Pacino
Persol 3D Award
Zapruder Filmmakers Group (David Zamagni, Nadia Ranocchi, and Monaldo Moretti)
L’Oreal Paris Award for Cinema
Nicole Grimaudo