Competition Section: Golden Lion

"En duva satt på en gren och funderade på tillvaron
(A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence)"

Country of Production: Sweden, Germany, Norway, France

Director: Roy Andersson



A Satirical Film Bringing Sweden its First Golden Lion

Director Roy Andersson made his feature film debut in 1943 with "Swedish Love Story." Had he continued as a film director, he would already have a 45-year career. However, his second feature film, which followed his debut that achieved success both in Sweden and abroad, was critically panned and a box office failure. He then temporarily disappeared from the film world and turned to commercial production. His first feature film in 25 years was "Songs from the Second Floor" in 2000. This film, which depicted the absurd events and the sorrow of people tossed about by them on a fictional planet, was met with critical acclaim, including the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2007's "You, the Living," he shifted the setting to "a certain city" in Northern Europe and depicted the daily lives of its somewhat eccentric inhabitants, set to humorous music. "En duva satt på en gren och funderade på tillvaron," which follows the flow of these two previous works, is the final film in the "Living Trilogy." Through the eyes of two "traveling salesmen," it is a collection of short films that surrealistically observe the daily lives of ordinary people, including a middle-aged man staring at a pigeon. This satirical film, considered Andersson's forte, brought Sweden its first Golden Lion.

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© la Biennale di Venezia - Foto ASAC

Competition Section: Grand Jury Prize

"The Look of Silence"

Country of Production: Denmark, Finland, Indonesia, Norway, United Kingdom

Director: Joshua Oppenheimer



Investigating the Secrets of Indonesia's Mass Killings

In 1965, a mass killing of one million people was secretly carried out in Indonesia. Astonishingly, the perpetrators are still living happily as "national heroes." Prompted by their cheerful reenactments of the events at the time, the director proposed, "Would you be willing to reenact it yourselves in front of the camera?" The men, who acted like movie stars in front of the camera, began to undergo a change.—Following his documentary "The Act of Killing," a major hit in Japan, director Joshua Oppenheimer once again tackled this mass killing in a documentary. This time, the camera follows a victim's family attempting to find the perpetrators in their quest to avenge the son who was killed. A mission constantly fraught with danger. What lay at the end of this path?

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© la Biennale di Venezia - Foto ASAC

Competition Section: Best Actor

Adam Driver
"Hungry Hearts"

Country of Production: Italy

Director: Saverio Costanzo



The Rising Star Actor Wins His First Accolade

Adam Driver has an unusual background, having served in the Marines before aspiring to become an actor. After graduating from the prestigious Juilliard School, he began his career primarily in Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. In 2012, he gained significant attention for his role as Adam in the popular TV series "Girls.""Inside Llewyn Davis"He went on to appear in a string of acclaimed films such as "Frances Ha." Driver is currently on a roll, with roles in "Star Wars: Episode VII" (directed by J.J. Abrams) and "Silence" (directed by Martin Scorsese), both scheduled for release in 2015. In "Hungry Hearts," he delivered a powerful performance, portraying the descent into the struggles of parenthood shortly after the joy of welcoming a child with his beloved wife, earning him his first major award.

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Competition Section: Silver Lion (Best Director)

Andrej Koncalovskij

"The Postman’s White Nights"

Country of Production: Russia





Competition Section: Best Screenplay

Rakhshan Banietemad & Farid Mostafavi

"Tales"

Country of Production: Iran

Director: Rakhshan Banietemad





Competition Section: Special Jury Prize

"Sivas"

Country of Production: Turkey, Germany

Director: Kaan Müjdeci





Competition Section: Best Actress

Alba Rohrwacher

"Hungry Hearts"

Country of Production: Italy

Director: Saverio Costanzo






Competition Section: Marcello Mastroianni Award (Best Young Actor/Actress)

Romain Paul

"Le dernier coup de marteau"

Country of Production: France

Director: Alix Delaporte

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