Jarmusch Wins Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival
US indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch surprised audiences by securing the prestigious Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday for his film Father Mother Sister Brother. This three-part exploration delves into the complex relationship between parents and their adult children.
While his light-hearted comedy received generally favorable reviews, it was not seen as a frontrunner for the top award. Critics had anticipated the film Voice of Hind Rajab, a poignant true story about the killing of a young Palestinian girl during the Gaza war. Ultimately, Tunisia’s Kaouther Ben Hania, the director of Voice of Hind Rajab, claimed the Silver Lion for second place.
Father Mother Sister Brother is structured in chapters set against backdrops in New Jersey, Dublin, and Paris, featuring an impressive ensemble cast that includes Tom Waits, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Indya Moore, and Luka Sabbat. In a four-star review, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described it as “a film to savour.”
“We film-makers aren’t driven by competition, but I genuinely appreciate this unexpected recognition,” stated Jarmusch, who gained fame in the 1980s with unique, low-budget projects such as Stranger Than Paradise and Down by Law.
In other awards, Italy’s Toni Servillo was named best actor for his incisive role as a weary president nearing the end of his tenure in La Grazia, directed by Paolo Sorrentino. Xin Zhilei from China won the best actress award for her performance in The Sun Rises on Us All, a drama about sacrifice and guilt among estranged lovers with a hidden past.
The Venice festival, often viewed as the kickoff for the awards season, has seen its films garner over 90 Oscar nominations and nearly 20 wins in the past four years. Despite its reputation for glamour and minimal political discourse, this year’s festival showcased films that centered on current events, particularly the ongoing Israeli invasion of Gaza.
While presenting his film, Jarmusch expressed concern over one of his key distributors having financial ties to a company related to the Israeli military. Meanwhile, Voice of Hind Rajab, which features actual audio of a young girl’s cries for help during Israeli gunfire, was a fan favorite, earning a record-breaking 23-minute standing ovation. In her acceptance speech, Ben Hania emphasized the power of cinema to preserve the girl’s voice and advocate for accountability and justice.
