Venice Film Festival 2024 Kicks Off With Political Drama, Star Power, and Protest
Kai Montgomery here, reluctantly offering you the lowdown on a festival that insists on being dramatic before the cameras even roll. Because of course it does. Because why would Hollywood ever make things simple?
Oh, look who’s back—Venice Film Festival, the cinematic event that insists on being relevant, glamorous, and politically charged all at once. This year’s 82nd edition kicked off with Paolo Sorrentino’s La Grazia, a film that somehow manages to be both deeply personal and politically provocative. And yes, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Dwayne Johnson are all in attendance, because apparently, no one told them this wasn’t an awards show.
Let’s get this straight: Sorrentino is not here to play nice. His latest film stars Toni Servillo as an Italian president paralyzed by indecision, grappling with euthanasia legislation and mourning his late wife. The director drew inspiration from a real-life case involving an Italian president who pardoned a man who killed his Alzheimer’s-afflicted spouse. The title, “La Grazia,” translates to “the pardon,” and according to Sorrentino, it’s about moral dilemmas—something he claims has fascinated him for years. Groundbreaking.
Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera admitted that Sorrentino surprised them with a more restrained, less baroque style than usual. Which, honestly, is like saying your friend who always wears neon decided to wear a beige sweater. It’s unexpected, sure, but also… beige.
Other films in competition for the Golden Lion include Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia, and Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine. Jury president Alexander Payne described his arrival in Venice as “heaven,” which is a bit much unless he was personally handed the keys to the city by George Clooney himself.
Outside the theater, however, things got real. Protesters gathered near the festival headquarters, calling attention to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. A banner reading “Free Palestine, Stop the Genocide” was unfurled on the red carpet, and a larger protest is planned for Saturday evening. Festival director Barbera, ever the diplomat, reiterated that the festival does not boycott artists or make political statements, despite Sorrentino himself recently calling the Gaza situation a “genocide.”
And yes, there were calls to disinvite certain actors based on their political stances, but Venice is playing it safe—because heaven forbid they actually take a side when there are films to premiere and egos to coddle.
So, in summary: a festival that starts with moral quandaries, A-listers, and protests. Because nothing says “glamour” like ethical debates and geopolitical tension. Did anyone expect anything less? No? Thought so.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and The New York Post
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