The noble cinema event at the Lido practices optimism. US stars and Netflix are courted: The streaming service provided the opening film “White Noise” with Adam Driver – and is also heavily involved in the competition.
The wall is gone! We remember: Last year, a long security wall along the red carpet at the Lido kept the stars who honored the Venice Film Festival at a distance from their admirers, blocking their free view of the adored celebrities. Corona was to blame. Now, in 2022, the Italian cinema event has also learned to “live with the virus” – and is once again offering its numerous glamor guests to the curious passers-by. On Wednesday, a few overzealous people planted themselves in front of the Palazzo del Cinema long before the opening gala began, colorful umbrellas lined the way: The late summer weather here is capricious to instability.
The veteran film festival itself is different: it wants to signal solid continuity, is appearing this year in a post-Covid guise, and is filling the cinemas with international viewers without a chessboard pattern or the obligation to wear masks. And comes up with neat innovations on the festival grounds – for example with a spacious bar in the fascist monumental building of the Palazzo del Casinò. As usual, the 23-film competition program is full of big names, from Darren Aronofsky to Joanna Hogg. Hollywood high society like Cate Blanchett, Timothée Chalamet and Christoph Waltz (seen out of competition in Walter Hill’s western “Dead for a Dollar”) promises a flurry of flashbulbs, pop god Harry Styles – actor in Olivia Wilde’s thriller “Don’t Worry Darling” – serves as a magnet for the youth. Even Hillary Clinton announced for a charity gala.