At the dawn of Vladimir Putin’s ascent who has Jude Law’s face, aliens under the guise of an important CEO played by Emma Stone, a Paris of the future divided into areas by social classes thanks to artificial intelligence, the heartbreaking voice of the Palestinian girl Hind Rajab who asks for help … the Venice Film Festival 2025at edition number 82, unroll Red Carpet and burning observations on today. From 27 August to 6 September it ranges between dreams and visions and the most raw toping.
The best known standard bearer of Italian cinema, Paolo Sorrentinowith his movie Grace The lagoon party opens in which 91 feature films, 25 shorts, 4 TV series and 69 works by Immersive Venice, the Extended Reality section, for 65 countries represented, will chase each other.
The closing movie is the French dystopian thriller Chien 51 by Cédric Jimenez On the Lumière villas you don’t expect, with Adèle Exarchopoulos and Gilles Lellouche.
The jury that will assign the golden lion is of a high level. Alexander Paynerefined American director, is the president. He will lead a group of colleagues from the authorial stylistic figure (the Frenchman Stéphane Brizéthe Romanian Cristian Mungiu Golden palm in Cannes with 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 daysthe Iranian Mohammad Rasoulof Orso d’oro in Berlin for Evil does not existours Maura Delpero Silver lion in Venice for Vermilion) and two enchanting actresses from the opposite sides of the world (the Brazilian Fernanda Torres and the Chinese Zhao Tao).
Among the films in competition (which are 21, all in world preview), but also among those out of competition, here are the most anticipated ones on which the veils are about to get up.
Grace by Paolo Sorrentino
The opening film of Venice 82 so far is very little known, if not the cast, among which the Fetish actor of Sorrentino stand out, Toni ServilloAnd Anna Ferzetti.
For the Italian director Oscar winner with The great beauty (2013), a great habitué of the Cannes Film Festival, is the fourth time in Venice, the second in the main competition. The last brought him well: he won the silver lion – jury Grand Prix with It was the hand of God.
Director Barbera said: «Paolo Sorrentino’s return to competition takes place with a film destined to leave his mark for his great originality And strong harmony with the present ».
It is one of the five Italians running for the Golden Lion.
Frankenstein by Guillermo del Toro
In competition, it is one of the most anticipated films, the long -lived dream by the Mexican director, who has been working for ten years. Suitable the classic story by Mary Shelley on Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but self -centered scientist played by Oscar Isaac. The creature to which he is embodied by Jacob ElordiWhile My Goth It has the role of a mysterious aristocrat.
Distinguished in 2007 with The labyrinth of the faunoDel Toro has already found luck in Venice: The shape of the water – The Shape of Water He won the Golden Lion in 2017 and was the flywheel for the subsequent Oscars to Best Film and Regia. In his board of the Academy Awards he then found a place in 2023 also the one to the best animated film for Pinocchio.
Bugonia by Yorgos Lanthimos
Here he is, another already winner of the golden lion: he ran 2023, was the turbinous Poor creatures!. The Greek director now tries again with a science fiction comedy and recalls again to himself Emma Stonewhich has not gone since 2018, by the beautiful The favorite. There is also Jesse Plemonswhich instead has already directed in Kinds of Kindness (2024).
Lanthimos makes a remake of the Korean comedy Save the green planetwith Plemons and Aidan Delbis who play two friends obsessed with conspiracies that decide to kidnap the CEO of a large company (Stone), convinced that it is a determined alien to destroy the earth.
Father Mother Sister Brother by Jim Jarmusch
Film in competition, it is made up of three stories that tell the relationships between adult children and rather distant parents, and between brothers, with the comedy that lets itself be crossed by subtle moments of melancholy.
“Father Mother Sister Brother is a sort of anti-film of actionwhose discreet and calm style is carefully built to allow the accumulation of small details, almost like flowers arranged with care in three delicate compositions “: this announced the American Indie director, always unusual and captivating.
In the cast Adam Driver, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, Vicky KriepsTom Waits, Mayim Bialik.
Eojjeol suga eopda (No other choice) Park Chan-Wook
From self -taught to one of the most important voices of the lively South Korean cinema. The pearl of his trilogy of revenge, the violent and compelling Oldboyhe won the special grand prix of the jury in 2003 at the Cannes Film Festival.
Park Chan-Wook has been in competition with a film he had wanted to make for twenty years, a adaptation of the novel The Axe by Donald Westlake set in New England during the recession of the 90s.
A man (Lee Byung-Hun) suddenly fired from the paper mill in which he worked hard for years, desperate in the search for a new job, comes to make a drastic decision: to eliminate competition.
Jay Kelly by Noah Baumbach
Often companion of scripts by Wes Anderson and his wife Greta Gerwig, Baumbach was recently in Venice, with the beautiful History of a wedding and with White noise.
In his third time in competition, he brings a comedy written with his wife e shot largely in Italy. With George Clooney who plays … an actor. Or rather, a successful actor in identity crisis.
In the cast too Adam Sandler, Laura DernPatrick Wilson, the same Greta Gerwig and our dawn Rohrwacher.
Dead Man’s Wire by Gus Van Sant
For seven years, Gus Van Sant has been missing the cinema. Palma d’oro and prize for the best direction in Cannes in 2003 with Elephantinspired by the Columbine High School massacre, now the American director returns with another threatening black chronicle.
Bring the real story of Tony Kiritsis out of competition (Bill Skarsgård), a man who, feeling cheated by his credit institution, in 1977 in Indianapolis took his broker hostage (Dacre Montgomery), threatening his interlocutor with a rifle for three days. A drama that was also a media event that kept the whole nation glued.
After the Hunt – After hunting by Luca Guadagnino
Out of competition for the will of Guadagnino, it is another all American film for the Italian director now so deeply Hollywood (even if entirely shot in London).
Set in a prestigious American college, After the Hunt – After hunting is a psychological thriller following a university professor (Julia Roberts), who finds himself at a personal and professional crossroads when a model (Ayo Edibiri) moves an accusation against one of his colleagues (Andrew Garfield).
The Mage du Kremlin (The wizard of the Kremlin) Olivier Assayas
Read Olivier Assayas and think about Sils Mariafilm that remains inside.
In competition in Venice, The wizard of the Kremlin It is taken from the novel of the same name by Giuliano da Empoli (winner of the Grand Prix de l’Académie Française in 2022). Tells the story of the fictitious character of Vadim Baraov (Paul Dano), an artist and producer transformed into spin-docctor of the young and ambitious Vladimir Putin (Jude Law) at the end of the Soviet Union. The narration retraces the image of Putin as Barav, passing from the post-Soviet chaos to the consolidation of Russian power.
The script was adapted by Assayas with Emmanuel Carrèrewhich also appears in the film in a quick cameo.
A House of Dynamite by Kathryn Bigelow
The American director Oscar winner with The Hurt Locker (2008), even first woman to win the statuette to the best director, returns with a political thriller eight years after Detroit. It is his third time in competition in Venice.
When a atomic missile Not claimed is launched against the United States, a race against time begins to find out who is responsible for it and how to react.
In the cast Idris Elba, Rebecca FergusonGabriel Basso, Jared Harris.
The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hania
The artistic director of the exhibition Alberto Barbera in presenting the film had a moment of hesitation in the voice due to emotion.
On January 29, 2024, the red crescent volunteers receive an emergency call. A 5 -year -old girl, Hind Rajab, is trapped in a car in Gazaunder the shot of Israeli soldiers, and implores to be saved. As they try to keep it in line, they do everything possible to make an ambulance arrive. Using the authentic audio recordings Existing, the Tunisian director Kouther Ben Hania reconstructs the tragic episode.
