At noon on July 22, local time, Alberto Barbera, artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, announced the film list of each unit of the 82nd Venice Film Festival, including the main competition. Surprisingly, this year there are two Chinese films competing for the highest honor, the Golden Lion Award, namely Cai Shangjun's new work "Sun in the Sky" and Shu Qi's first work "Girl". In addition, Hungarian director Ildikó Inyedi's new work "Silent Friends" starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai is also on the list.
Cai Shangjun's "The Sun in the Sky" stars Xin Zhilei, Zhang Songwen and Feng Shaofeng. The synopsis for the film's filing reads: "Former lovers Meiyun and Baoshu meet again after several years. In their daily interactions, their sad past is revealed. Baoshu bids farewell again, but eventually wakes up from his dream and hugs Meiyun and cries." This is also Cai Shangjun's return to Venice after many years. He won the Silver Lion Award for Best Director in 2011 for "People Mountain People Sea" starring Chen Jianbin.
"Sun in the Sky" Venice Film Festival shortlisted poster
Shu Qi's first directorial work "Girl" stars Qiu Ze and Tang Yuqi. The plot is still unknown and the screenwriter is also Shu Qi.
"Girl" Venice Film Festival shortlisted poster
"Girl" is Shu Qi's first directorial work
Ildikó Inyedí's "Silent Friend" is set in the botanical garden of the medieval university city of Marburg, Germany, and tells three stories about a tree over the course of more than 100 years. Tony Leung is the protagonist of the third story, playing a famous neurologist who came to Marburg from Hong Kong. In addition to Tony Leung, the cast also includes Léa Seydoux, Luna Wedler, and others.
Tony Leung Chiu Wai in "Silent Friend"
In addition to the above three films, there are many new works by famous directors among the other 19 shortlisted works in the main competition unit, including "Grace" by Italian director Paolo Sorrentino, which will be the opening film, "Mr. Right" directed by Korean director Park Chan-wook and starring Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin, "Blow Up" by Kathryn Bigelow, director of "Zero Dark Thirty", "Orphan" by Laszlo Nemes, director of "Son of Saul", "The Outsider" adapted from Camus's masterpiece by French director François Ozon, "Under the Clouds" by Italian documentary director Gianfranco Rossi, "Saving Earth" by Yorgos Lanthimos, a sci-fi absurd work, "Parents, Sisters, Brothers" by American independent director Jim Jarmusch, Guillermo del Toro's new version of "Frankenstein", "The Magician of the Kremlin" by French director Olivier Assayas, and "Jay Kelly" by Noah Baumbach, starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler.
In addition to the main competition unit, the screening unit is also full of new works by famous directors. Italian director Luca Guadagnino will present his new work "After the Hunt", starring Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Ayo Edwili. Japanese animation director Mamoru Hosoda's new work "Infinite Scarlett" will also premiere in Venice.
In addition, Julian Schnabel's "The Hand of Dante" will challenge the most luxurious red carpet lineup of this Venice Film Festival. The actors of the film include Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Al Pacino, Martin Scorsese, Gerard Butler, John Malkovich, etc. And the long-lost Gus Van Sant's new work "Dead Man's Wire" will also premiere in Venice, starring Al Pacino and Bill Skarsgard.
Not only feature films, but also documentaries screened at this year's Venice Film Festival have made movie fans salivate, including "Marc for Sofia", a new work in which Sofia Coppola turns the camera on her friend, costume designer Marco Jacob, as well as Werner Herzog's "The Ghost Elephants", Lucrecia Martel's "Ciocoba", Alexander Sokurov's "Director's Diary", and Tsai Ming-liang's "Going Home".
The 82nd Venice Film Festival will be held on the Lido Island in Venice from August 27 to September 6. The jury of the main competition unit is led by American director Alexander Payne, and Chinese actor Zhao Tao will serve as a judge.
【Main Competition Unit Finalists】
Grace by Paolo Sorrentino
The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kausel Ben Hanieh
Kathryn Bigelow, White House
Leonardo DiCostanzo "Eliza"
"Working Scene" by Valerie Dunzeri
"Friends of Silence" by Iltiko Inyedi
"The Sun in the Sky" by Cai Shangjun
The Testament of Ann Lee Mona Fastow
"Ducet" by Pietro Marcello
A Film About Carmelo Bene (Documentary) Franco Maresco
"Orphan" by Laszlo Nemes
The Outsider Francois Ozon
"Nothing to Do" Park Chan-wook
"Shredder" Ben Safdie
Under the Clouds (documentary) Gianfranco Rossi
Save the Earth - Yorgos Lanthimos
Parents, Sisters, Jim Jarmusch
Frankenstein Guillermo del Toro
The Magician of the Kremlin - Olivier Assayas
Jay Kelly Noah Baumbach
Girls Shu Qi
