US indie director Jim Jarmusch unexpectedly gained the coveted Golden Lion on the Venice film festival on Saturday with Father Mom Sister Brother, a three-part meditation on the uneasy tie between dad and mom and their grownup kids.
Though his mild comedy obtained largely optimistic critiques, it had not been a favorite for the highest prize, with many critics as an alternative tipping the Voice of Hind Rajab, a harrowing true-life account of the killing of a five-year-old Palestinian lady throughout the Gaza battle. In the long run, the movie directed by Tunisia’s Kaouther Ben Hania took the runner-up Silver Lion.
Divided into chapters set in New Jersey, Dublin and Paris, Father Mom Sister Brother options an ensemble solid together with Tom Waits, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Indya Moore and Luka Sabbat. In a four star review, the Guardian’s chief movie critic Peter Bradshaw described it as “a movie to savour”.
“All of us right here who make movies, we’re not motivated by competitors. However that is one thing I actually admire, this surprising honour,” mentioned Jarmusch, who made his identify within the Eighties with offbeat, low-budget works similar to Stranger Than Paradise and Down by Legislation.
Elsewhere, Italy’s Toni Servillo was named finest actor for his wry portrayal of a weary president nearing the end of his mandate in La Grazia, directed by his longtime collaborator Paolo Sorrentino. China’s Xin Zhilei gained finest actress for her position within the Solar Rises on Us All, a drama directed by Cai Shangjun that delves into questions of sacrifice, guilt and unresolved emotions between estranged lovers who share a darkish secret.
The Venice pageant marks the beginning of the awards season and repeatedly throws up large favourites for the Oscars, with movies premiering there over the previous 4 years gathering greater than 90 Oscar nominations and profitable nearly 20. It has usually been seen as essentially the most glamorous and least political of the foremost movie festivals, however in 2025 the films that made the strongest impression targeted on present occasions, with the continuing Israeli invasion of Gaza casting an extended shadow.
As he unveiled his image final weekend, Jarmusch acknowledged that he was involved that considered one of his major distributors had taken cash from an organization with ties to the Israeli navy.
The Voice of Hind Rajab, which makes use of the true audio of a younger lady’s determined pleas for assist as her automotive comes below Israeli gunfire, was the fan favorite, winning a record 23-minute standing ovation at its premiere. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw said it was “a fierce, vehement piece of labor”.
In her acceptance speech, Ben Hania mentioned: “Cinema can not convey Hind again, nor can it erase the atrocity dedicated in opposition to her. Nothing can ever restore what was taken, however cinema can protect her voice, make it resonate throughout borders.
“Her voice will proceed to echo till accountability is actual, till justice is served.”
The perfect director award went to Benny Safdie for the Smashing Machine, which starred Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson within the position of the real-life combined martial arts pioneer Mark Kerr. Safdie mentioned: “To be right here amongst the giants of the previous and the giants right here this 12 months, it simply blows my thoughts.”
The particular jury award went to Italy’s Gianfranco Rosi for his black-and-white documentary Below the Clouds, about life within the chaotic southern metropolis of Naples, marked by repeated earthquakes and the specter of volcanic eruptions.
Among the many motion pictures that left Venice empty-handed have been a trio of Netflix footage: Kathryn Bigelow’s nuclear thriller A Home of Dynamite, Guillermo del Toro’s retelling of Frankenstein and Noah Baumbach’s comedy-drama Jay Kelly. No Different Selection by South Korea’s Park Chan-wook additionally did not safe an award, regardless of sturdy critiques, likewise Bugonia by Yorgos Lanthimos, which starred Emma Stone.
In the press conference following the ceremony, reporters expressed shock that the Voice of Hind Rajab had been handed over for the Golden Lion. Jury president Alexander Payne mentioned in response: “As a jury, we treasure each of these movies equally, every for its personal purpose. And we want each of these movies an extended and vital life, and we hope that the help of the awards we’ve given tonight will assist them, every in its personal means.”
Payne additionally denied claims {that a} juror threatened to give up over the awards, saying: “One in every of my jurors threatened to give up? … No. I believe we all know … to not consider every thing we learn on-line.”
