Glamor and protest in Venice: Film Festival opened in Venice – Honorary Award for Herzog

The Film Festival Venice has been opened with great praise for the German director Werner Duke of Hollywood legend Francis Ford Coppola. The 82-year-old Duke was awarded a golden lion for his life’s work in the evening. Coppola, who is another four years older, presented him with the award.

“You have to celebrate the fact that someone like him can actually exist,” said Coppola (“the godfather”, “Apocalypse Now”) on stage. Herzog is internationally known for films such as “Fitzcarraldo”, “Nosferatu – Phantom of the Night” or “Woyzeck”.

Herzog thanked the words: “Venice was always good to me.” The two directors came together in a touching scene over the red carpet into the festival palace: first arm in arm, then hand in hand. Herzog supported his older colleague Coppola, who was recently operated on the heart.

The stars that are already in Venice include George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Adam Sandler and Tilda Swinton. The 82nd edition of the festival lasts one and a half weeks. The Jury President is the American director Alexander Payne. German directors are not at the start in the competition. The new film by Herzog (“Ghost Elephants”) runs out of competition.

The festival was opened with the new film by the Italian Paolo Sorrentino, “La Grazia”. Mohammad Rasoulof is also on the jury, whose film “The Sowing of the Holy Feigenbaums” had started for Germany for Germany this year – but without success.

Propalestinian protest before opening

Before the start, a propalestinic protest had attracted attention. The initiative “Venice 4 Palestine” calls for Israel’s approach in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank of the Israeli actress Gal Gadot (“Wonder Woman”). At the red carpet, activists kept a saying band “Free Palestine” up.

“Venice 4 Palestine” is planning a protest on the Lido for Saturday, where the festival takes place. In an open letter, which, according to initiators, was signed by around 1,500 people, ask the festival management to take a position on the Gaza War.

Festival management: “No censorship” in Venice

Gadot, who comes from Israel and did military service there, had repeatedly declared solidarity on October 7, 2023 after the terrorist attack of Hamas and other Islamist groups on Israel and spoke for the release of the Israeli hostages. Her management did not comment on request.

The initiative also called for the displacement of the British actor Gerard Butler, who like Gadot in Julian Schnabels “In The Hand of Dante”, who celebrates its premiere in Venice. Butler has publicly known to Israel in the past. According to reports, Gadot and Butler do not come to Venice, but there is no official confirmation for this.

The head of the festival, Alberto Barbera, rejected all demands for the exclusion of Israeli or Israel -friendly artists. At the festival there will be “no censorship”.