The festival wins the organization's bet in light of the Corona pandemic

"Venice": "Nomadland" wins the Golden Lion, and Kirby is the best actress

• Cate Blanchett during the announcement of award winners.

  Reuters

• Vanessa Kirby won the award for starring in "Pieces of a Woman".

  EPA

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The American film "Nomadland" (Nomad Land) was crowned with the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Festival, especially thanks to the remarkable performance of the two Oscar-winning actress Frances McDormand, at the end of the most important cinematic event this year since the quarantine measures due to the "Covid-19" epidemic.

Chloe Gao, the 38-year-old American director of Chinese descent, became the first woman to receive this prestigious cinematic award 10 years ago, when her compatriot Sophia Coppola won it in 2010 for her movie "Samwer".

The award places the director, who was known in 2017 with "The Rider" and is currently preparing for a "Marvel" movie that is expected to be released next year, in a good position within the Oscars race, which is evidenced by several examples from past years for works that won the Oscar a few months after winning the lion. Golden in Venice, including "Joker" by Todd Phillips last year.

And by honoring the movie "Nomadland", the festival committee headed by Australian actress Cate Blanchett chose to reward one of the few American productions participating in this year's session of the Venice Festival, which is held in an exceptional atmosphere due to the "Covid-19" epidemic.

Residents of trailers

McDormand plays a battered woman who leaves everything to live a nomadic life in a trailer on the fringes of American society.

The film immerses itself in the world of "trailer dwellers", who are Americans who spend their time in reclaimed vehicles that include a sleeping space, and who live from simple jobs. They even form a kind of small community and communicate with each other during chance encounters on the roads or via social media.

The committee, which includes a constellation of filmmakers and stars, including the American actor Matt Dillon, also rewarded the Mexican film "Nuevo Urdon", Michel Franco, with the (Grand Jury Prize), and awarded the Silver Lion Award in the category of best director for Japanese Kiyoshi Corasawa for the movie "Wave of a Spy." ».

the performance

As for the performance awards, British Vanessa Kirby, who is especially known for playing the role of Princess Margaret in the series "The Crown", won the Best Actress award for her starring role in "Pieces of a Woman" by Hungarian Cornell Mondrocho.

The 32-year-old actress participated in another work in the festival’s competition films, "The World to Cam" by Mona Fastfold.

Italian actor Pierre Francesco Favino also won an award for his participation in Claudio Nocchi's film "Badrenostro", in the role of a high-ranking Italian government employee who is attacked during the political turmoil known as the "Years of Lead".

Completion

The holding of this year's session, which was the subject of great interest in cinema circles as the first major cinema forum since the start of the quarantine measures, is an achievement in itself, according to the organizers.

The festival was held amid tight control over the participants, which included obliging them to wear a mask, take their body temperature, and impose a spacing between them.

Festival organizers indicated that no focus of the new Corona virus was registered during the event, which allowed it to continue until the end.

This is a glimmer of hope for the cinema sector, which suffered heavy losses due to the crisis, and for workers in the sector and fans of the seventh art who have been flooded with films via streaming services in recent months during the quarantine period.

Chloe Gao: "Thank you very much."

Director Chloe Gao commented on her award in a video message that she filmed inside a bus in Pasadena, California, indicating the continuing consequences of the global health crisis that prevented many film crews from traveling to Venice.

And the cinematographer said, "Thank you very much," while actress Frances McDormand, who was sitting next to her, said, "Thank you very much for this golden lion."

Thank you for welcoming us at your festival in this very strange world.

We will meet again ».

• The most prominent cinematic event this year since the quarantine measures due to the "Covid-19" epidemic.

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