Almodóvar honored in Venice: “The Room Next Door” wins Golden Lion

Almodóvar honored in Venice
“The Room Next Door” wins Golden Lion

07.09.2024, 22:12

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Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore play the main characters in “The Room Next Door”. The drama by Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar convinces the jury in Venice. Actress Nicole Kidman also wins a coveted prize.

The Golden Lion of the Venice Film Festival goes to the film “The Room Next Door” by Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar. This was announced by the jury. The drama tells the story of two friends who have to deal with death. Tilda Swinton plays a woman with terminal cancer who asks an old friend (Julianne Moore) for a complicated favor. She does not want to be alone at the moment of her self-chosen death. The film is based on the novel “What are you missing?” by Sigrid Nunez.

Pedro Almodóvar is Spain's most internationally famous director. His film “All About My Mother” won an Oscar in 2000. The 74-year-old received another Oscar in 2003 for “Talk to Her”. “The Room Next Door” is his first English-language feature film.

Awards for Nicole Kidman and Vincent Lindon

Other important awards at the film festival went to Australian actress Nicole Kidman for her role in “Babygirl” (best actress), French actor Vincent Lindon for his part in “Jouer avec le feu” (best actress) and Italian director Maura Delpero, who received the Grand Jury Prize for her film “Vermiglio”. The 81st Venice Film Festival, which began on August 28, was one of the three most important in the world, alongside the Cannes Film Festival and the Berlinale. 21 works competed for the awards in this year's competition.

The awards were presented by an international jury chaired by French actress Isabelle Huppert.