The Venice International Film Festival: History and Golden Lion Winners

Introduction: The Genesis and Enduring Prestige of the Venice Film Festival

The Venice International Film Festival, inaugurated in 1932, holds the distinction of being the world’s oldest film festival, a beacon that first illuminated cinema as an art form worthy of international celebration. Born as an offshoot of the broader Venice Biennale, a multidisciplinary cultural institution founded in 1895, the Festival inherited a deep connection with the visual arts, which shaped its initial perception and emphasized its artistic vocation. From its conception, the primary goal was to “showcase the best products of cinema understood as an art form,” an intent that distinguished the festival from purely commercial events and has permeated its history.

Over the decades, the Festival has evolved into an event of extraordinary global resonance, a fundamental crossroads for discovering new talent, launching actors and directors onto the world stage, and a powerful engine of influence in the very history of cinema. Its ability to anticipate trends, present innovative and sometimes controversial works, has consolidated its prestige. However, the festival has not been an entity detached from the Italian historical and political context; on the contrary, it has often been a faithful mirror, for better or worse, of the cultural policies expressed by the various regimes and governments that have succeeded one another, passing through periods of strong conditioning but also of courageous autonomy.

The founding of the Festival in 1932, in the midst of the Fascist regime, was not a random event. It was, in fact, part of a broader cultural strategy aimed at promoting the image of a modern and avant-garde Italy, using cinema – a powerful mass communication medium rapidly on the rise – as an instrument of cultural influence and, implicitly, of political affirmation. The figure of Giuseppe Volpi, at the time president of the Biennale and previously Mussolini’s Minister of Finance, underscores this close initial link between the festival and the spheres of political power. This original connection with the regime would inevitably shape the early editions, influencing their choices and international perception, and would require, in the post-war period, a significant commitment to reassert the festival’s autonomy and cultural credibility.

Its initial affiliation with the Art Biennale immediately conferred an aura of “artisticness” upon the Festival. While this link offered a prestigious platform and organizational resources, it may have initially framed cinema as a “minor” or ancillary art compared to more established disciplines. However, the subsequent and overwhelming growth of the Festival, its progressive autonomization, and its ability to establish itself as one of the most important film events in the world testify to the definitive affirmation of cinema as an independent artistic language, endowed with an expressive force and a cultural impact that are autonomous and far-reaching.

II. The Origins and Early Editions (1932-1939): Between Experimentation and Political Influence

The roots of the Venice International Film Festival lie in a period of great cultural ferment and growing political tensions. Its birth and early years were characterized by a phase of pioneering experimentation, but also by a progressive and inexorable influence of the Italian and European political context.

The First Exposition (1932): A Non-Competitive Beginning

The first edition, called the “International Exposition of Cinematographic Art,” took place from August 6 to 21, 1932, on the picturesque terrace of the Hotel Excelsior on the Lido di Venezia. This pioneering event saw the participation of nine nations and was inaugurated by the screening of the American film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Rouben Mamoulian. In this embryonic phase, no official prizes were awarded by a jury. Instead, a referendum was held among the audience present, who were asked to indicate the films and performances they considered most deserving. Among the recognitions attributed by popular vote, À Nous la Liberté by René Clair was elected Most Entertaining Film, The Sin of Madelon Claudet by Edgar Selwyn was designated as Most Moving Film (with Helen Hayes awarded as best actress and Fredric March as best actor), while Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde received recognition for the Most Original Fantasy Film. Despite considerable public and critical success, the event did not take place in 1933, marking a brief interruption before its definitive institutionalization.

The Competitive Turn (1934) and the Institution of the Mussolini Cup

1934 marked a crucial year for the Festival: it was declared an annual event, and international participation grew to seventeen countries. But the most significant novelty was the introduction of official competition and the first prizes. Prominent among these was the “Mussolini Cup,” intended for the Best Foreign Film and the Best Italian Film, a clear sign of the growing attention and influence of the Fascist regime on the organization. In total, seventeen prizes were awarded in that edition (fourteen to films and three to individual artists), in addition to five honorable mentions. The Mussolini Cup for Best Foreign Film went to Man of Aran by documentary pioneer Robert J. Flaherty, while the one for Best Italian Film was awarded to Teresa Confalonieri by Guido Brignone.

The evolution from an event based on public referendum to a competitive event with prizes so politically connotated was extremely rapid. This transformation reflected the Fascist regime’s desire to appropriate the festival, turning it into a showcase of Italian prestige and an instrument of cultural soft power. Funding from the Ministry of Popular Culture, established in those years, and the very naming of the main prize after the Duce, were not simple tributes but indicated direct political control and the instrumentalization of the Festival for propaganda purposes and consolidation of consensus. Such politicization had an immediate impact on the festival’s international perception, leading in subsequent years to criticism and, as a direct reaction, to the birth of alternative festivals, first and foremost Cannes.

Consolidation and Growth (1935-1938)

Subsequent editions saw a progressive consolidation of the structure and an increase in the Festival’s prestige. In 1935, Ottavio Croze was appointed the first artistic director, a position he held until the outbreak of World War II. In the same year, a jury was introduced for awarding prizes, although initially composed exclusively of Italian members. Financial support came largely from the Ministry of Popular Culture, supplemented by contributions from the Biennale and the city of Venice.

1937 was a particularly significant year with the inauguration of the new Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido, designed by architect Luigi Quagliata. This new and imposing venue was not just a logistical improvement but a symbolic investment aimed at consecrating Venice as one of the world capitals of cinema, capable of competing with Hollywood, and providing a monumental setting for the regime’s cultural vision. The construction of a dedicated and majestic building went beyond simple functional necessity, signaling the ambition to make Venice a leading film hub, in line with the nationalistic and imperial aspirations of the time. The presence on the Lido of internationally renowned stars such as Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis, and Jean Gabin in those years served to further legitimize this ambition.⁵

However, parallel to structural and image growth, political pressures became increasingly felt. The 1938 edition was particularly emblematic of this trend: important awards went to explicitly propagandistic films. Historical sources report that Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler directly intervened to subvert the jury’s decisions, imposing the awarding of Leni Riefenstahl’s Olympia as Best Foreign Film and Luciano Serra pilota, starring the regime’s idol Amedeo Nazzari and directed by Goffredo Alessandrini (with uncredited supervision by the Duce’s own son, Vittorio Mussolini), as Best Italian Film. These blatant interferences profoundly undermined the artistic credibility of the prize and the festival itself.

The 1939 Edition and the Shadows of War

The 1939 edition took place in an extremely tense international climate, on the eve of the outbreak of World War II. The absences of many film industries were numerous and significant, reflecting the deterioration of diplomatic relations. In this context, only the Mussolini Cup was awarded, which went to the Italian film Abuna Messias – Vendetta africana by Goffredo Alessandrini. Some sources list it as “Best Film” in general, others as the winner of the Mussolini Cup for Best Italian Film (with the title Cardinal Messias). Considering the context and the drastic reduction in foreign participation, it is plausible that the prize was attributed to Alessandrini’s film as the main work in competition, reflecting the political priorities of the moment.

The growing and brazen political interference in the awards, culminating in the episodes of 1938 and the reduced 1939 edition, marked a point of no return for the artistic credibility of the Festival internationally. If the awards no longer reflected artistic merit but the political agenda of totalitarian regimes, the participation and interest of the non-aligned film community were destined to wane drastically, as indeed happened. This credibility vacuum helped create space for the birth and affirmation of other festivals, such as Cannes, founded in 1939 (although its first actual edition was held only in 1946) precisely in reaction to the political manipulations in Venice.

Below is a summary table of the evolution of the first prizes awarded at the Venice Film Festival from 1932 to 1939:

Note: In 1939, due to the imminent war context and numerous absences, the Mussolini Cup was primarily awarded to the Italian film.

III. The War Years and the Immediate Post-War Period (1940-1948): Suspension, Resumption, and New Identity

The decade that began in 1940 was profoundly marked by the Second World War, which had direct and dramatic repercussions on the Venice Film Festival. The editions held during the war years were inevitably conditioned by the political and military climate, eventually giving way to a forced suspension and a subsequent, complex phase of recovery and redefinition of identity in the post-war period.

The War Editions (1940-1942): A Conditioned Festival

The editions of the Festival that took place between 1940 and 1942 were heavily influenced by the control of the Rome-Berlin Axis. The programming and awards clearly reflected the propaganda interests of the Fascist and Nazi regimes, effectively transforming the festival into a platform for the cinematography of the belligerent countries and their allies, further isolating it from the non-aligned international film context.

In 1940, the Mussolini Cup for Best Foreign Film was awarded to Der Postmeister by Austrian director Gustav Ucicky, a German production. For the Best Italian Film, sources report a discrepancy: some indicate L’assedio dell’Alcazar by Augusto Genina, others La corona di ferro by Alessandro Blasetti.⁸

The 1941 edition saw the presentation and awarding by the Ministry of Popular Culture of Heimkehr, an explicit Nazi propaganda film. The Mussolini Cup for Best Foreign Film went to another Third Reich propaganda work, Ohm Krüger by Hans Steinhoff. Sources also diverge for the Best Italian Film of 1941, citing Blasetti’s La corona di ferro or Roberto Rossellini’s La nave bianca⁸, the latter being a significant work for the future developments of Italian cinema.

1942 represented the last edition of the Festival before the war suspension. The Mussolini Cup for Best Foreign Film was won by Der große König by German director Veit Harlan, while the one for Best Italian Film went to Bengasi by Augusto Genina.⁸

These editions, dominated by works celebrating the ideology and war efforts of the Axis, represented the culmination of the festival’s political instrumentalization. Participation was effectively limited to Axis countries and neutral or sympathetic nations, distorting the international vocation of the Festival. This dark period made a profound process of renewal even more imperative at the end of the conflict to regain credibility.

In September 1942, with the worsening war situation for Italy, the activities of the Venice Biennale, and consequently of the Film Festival, were officially suspended.

The Suspension (1943-1945)

Between 1943 and 1945, the Venice International Film Festival did not take place due to the war events devastating Italy and Europe. During this period of interruption, for a short time, the Biennale pavilions at the Giardini di Castello were used as improvised film studios, known as “Cinevillaggio,” an initiative inspired by Cinecittà that remained there until April 1945.

The Resumption (1946) and Neorealism

The Film Festival resumed its activities in September 1946, in an Italy recently emerged from the war and in full material and moral reconstruction. Significantly, this resumption occurred almost simultaneously with the first actual edition of the Cannes Film Festival, also born with the intent of offering a platform for international cinema free from political conditioning. In this edition of rebirth, the main prize, awarded by a jury of journalists, went to The Southerner by the great French director Jean Renoir, a leading figure in world cinema and a known anti-fascist, exiled from France during the occupation. The choice to award Renoir was highly symbolic, marking a clear desire to break with the festival’s fascist past and a realignment with democratic values and the international film community. This prize is often considered a direct precursor to the Golden Lion or identified as the “Grand International Prize of Venice.”

1946 was also the year that saw the powerful affirmation of Italian Neorealism, a movement that would profoundly mark the history of world cinema. Works like Roberto Rossellini’s Paisà, Aldo Vergano’s Il sole sorge ancora, and, the following year, Giuseppe De Santis’ Caccia tragica, found an important showcase at the Festival.

The “Grand International Prize of Venice” (1947-1948)

In the two subsequent editions, the main prize assumed the name “Grand International Prize of Venice,” a further step in the process of detachment from the political connotations of the past and affirmation of a new identity linked to the prestige of the city and its international vocation.

The 1947 edition, held exceptionally in the picturesque courtyard of the Doge’s Palace, was a great success, registering a record ninety thousand participants and being considered one of the most successful in the Festival’s history. The Grand International Prize of Venice was awarded to the Czechoslovak film Siréna (The Siren) by Karel Steklý.

In 1948, the top honor went to a masterpiece of British cinema, Hamlet, directed by and starring Laurence Olivier.

These name changes for the awards, abandoning the “Mussolini Cup,” were essential to signal a clean break with the Fascist past and to rebuild the festival’s international credibility. Anchoring the prize to the city of Venice, first with a generic reference to its international prestige and then, as will be seen, with the symbol of the Lion of Saint Mark, aimed to give it a more universal aura, less tied to political contingencies, a choice that would prove successful in the long run.

IV. The Golden Lion Era (1949-1968): International Consecration and New Trends

With the end of the 1940s, the Venice International Film Festival entered a new phase, characterized by the introduction of its most iconic award, the Lion, and by a progressive affirmation as one of the most prestigious stages for world auteur cinema. This period saw the consecration of great masters, the discovery of new cinematographies, and the emergence of stylistic trends that would profoundly influence the seventh art.

The Lion of Saint Mark is Born (later Golden Lion)

1949 marked a fundamental symbolic turning point: the Festival’s main prize was renamed the “Lion of Saint Mark,” in direct homage to the millennial symbol of the city of Venice. This choice further strengthened the festival’s link with the identity and historical-cultural prestige of the lagoon city, definitively distancing itself from previous denominations. A few years later, in 1954, the name would be slightly modified to the definitive “Golden Lion,” destined to become one of the most coveted film awards in the world.

The first Lion of Saint Mark, in 1949, was awarded to the French film Manon by Henri-Georges Clouzot. The following year, in 1950, the prize went to another French film, Justice est faite (Justice is Done) by André Cayatte.⁸

1951 was a particularly significant year: the Festival obtained formal accreditation from the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations), an official recognition of its importance in the international festival scene. But, above all, the Lion of Saint Mark was awarded to Rashomon by Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. This victory had an epochal impact: Rashomon was not only the recognition of an absolute masterpiece but also opened the doors of Western cinema to Japanese cinematography and, by extension, to Asian cinema, which until then had been largely unknown or ignored in Europe and America. The Venice Film Festival thus confirmed itself as a powerful global “talent scout,” capable of redefining the map of world cinema and acting as a bridge between different film cultures, stimulating an intercultural dialogue that would enrich the global cinematographic language.

In 1952, the Lion of Saint Mark awarded Jeux interdits (Forbidden Games) by Frenchman René Clément. The 1953 edition, however, ended without the main prize being awarded, due to the jury’s inability to reach a decision.

The Fifties: Affirmation of Great Auteurs and New Stars

The 1950s were a period of great splendor for the Festival, which decisively contributed to the international affirmation of a new generation of Italian directors such as Federico Fellini, Francesco Rosi, Ermanno Olmi, and Michelangelo Antonioni, alongside European masters of the caliber of Ingmar Bergman, Robert Bresson, and Claude Chabrol, and important American auteurs like Elia Kazan. In addition to the aforementioned “discovery” of Japanese cinema with Kurosawa, the Festival gave visibility to other Japanese masters like Kenji Mizoguchi.⁸

In 1954, with the prize assuming its definitive name “Golden Lion,” the victory went to Romeo and Juliet, an Italian-British co-production directed by Renato Castellani. This was the first film with a majority Italian production to win the festival’s highest honor in its new guise.

The Lido di Venezia became an essential catwalk for new stars of the cinematographic panorama in these years: in 1954, it was Marlon Brando’s turn, star of Elia Kazan’s On the Waterfront, while in 1958 attention was captivated by the presence of Brigitte Bardot, interpreter of Claude Autant-Lara’s Love Is My Profession.

The Golden Lion of 1955 was awarded to the masterpiece of Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer, Ordet (The Word). The 1956 edition also concluded without a winner for the Golden Lion.

In 1957, the prize went to India with Satyajit Ray’s Aparajito (The Unvanquished), the second chapter of his celebrated Apu Trilogy. The following year, in 1958, the Golden Lion returned to Japan with Hiroshi Inagaki’s Muhomatsu no issho (The Rickshaw Man).⁸

The 1959 edition saw an all-Italian ex aequo, with the Golden Lion shared by two fundamental works of national cinematography: Mario Monicelli’s La grande guerra (The Great War), a bitter and powerful reflection on the First World War, and Roberto Rossellini’s Il generale Della Rovere (General Della Rovere), an intense drama set during the Nazi occupation.⁸

The Sixties: Free Cinema, Nouvelle Vague, and Social Commitment

The 1960s opened under the banner of renewed cultural and cinematographic ferment. The Venice Film Festival became a privileged platform for the presentation and consecration of new movements and aesthetic trends. The festival hosted important films of British Free Cinema, until then semi-unknown to the general public, such as Karel Reisz’s Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Tony Richardson’s A Taste of Honey, and John Schlesinger’s Billy Liar. In parallel, the French Nouvelle Vague found full consecration, present with works that would redefine cinematographic language.⁸

The Golden Lion of 1960 was awarded to André Cayatte’s Le passage du Rhin (Tomorrow Is My Turn), a Franco-Italian-German co-production. In 1961, the prize went to a pivotal work of cinematographic modernity, Alain Resnais’ L’année dernière à Marienbad (Last Year at Marienbad).⁸

The 1962 edition saw another ex aequo, this time between Italy and the Soviet Union: the Golden Lion was shared by Valerio Zurlini’s Cronaca familiare (Family Diary) and Ivanovo detstvo (Ivan’s Childhood), the debut work of Andrei Tarkovsky, destined to become one of the greatest masters of world cinema.⁸

Italian cinema continued to reap success: in 1963, Francesco Rosi’s Le mani sulla città (Hands Over the City) won, a powerful film denouncing building speculation and political corruption. In 1964, the Golden Lion went to Michelangelo Antonioni’s Il deserto rosso (Red Desert), his first color film, a work of extraordinary visual and thematic power. The following year, in 1965, it was Luchino Visconti’s Vaghe stelle dell’Orsa… (Sandra of a Thousand Delights).

The Festival’s growing attention to films with strong civil and political commitment, reflecting the change in the cultural and social climate of the era, was further confirmed in 1966 with the victory of Gillo Pontecorvo’s La battaglia di Algeri (The Battle of Algiers), an epochal work on the Algerian struggle for independence. By awarding these films, the Festival not only recognized their artistic value but also became a sounding board for crucial debates, demonstrating its ability to intercept and enhance a cinema that critically questioned the present.

In 1967, the Golden Lion was awarded to surrealist master Luis Buñuel’s Belle de jour (Beauty of the Day). Finally, the 1968 edition, which took place in a climate of strong student and social protest that would profoundly mark the following decade, saw the victory of the West German film Die Artisten in der Zirkuskuppel: ratlos (Artists Under the Big Top: Perplexed) by Alexander Kluge.⁸

This twenty-year period, from 1949 to 1968, was crucial for the Venice Film Festival. The festival managed to balance the celebration of established masters with the discovery of new cinematographies and movements, consolidating its role as an essential platform for the evolution of auteur cinema and the affirmation of new aesthetics. Its ability to intercept and amplify the demands of socially engaged cinema foreshadowed, in a way, the profound transformations and protests that would characterize the following decade.

V. Crisis and Contestation (1969-1979): Years of Non-Competitiveness and Interruptions

The period between 1969 and 1979 represents a complex and troubled phase in the history of the Venice International Film Festival. In the long wake of the socio-political protests of 1968, which questioned traditional cultural institutions and their hierarchical structures, the festival entered a profound identity crisis that led to the abolition of prizes and several interruptions.

Abolition of Prizes (1969-1979)

The thrust of the protest was such that Italian directors registered with ANAC (National Association of Film Authors) refused to participate in the event in its traditional formats. In response to these pressures and in an attempt to reform the festival, making it perceived as more “democratic” or less tied to competitive logics seen as an expression of bourgeois culture, the Festival abolished prizes starting from the 1969 edition. Thus began a long non-competitive phase that characterized the entire decade, with the festival, in a certain sense, returning to the spirit of its first edition in 1932, focusing on the presentation of works rather than their hierarchical evaluation.

This choice, while on one hand revealing a certain “cultural nobility” and an attempt to detach from market pressures and spectacularization, on the other hand made the Festival “practically alien to the concept of a true festival” understood as an internationally appealing competitive event. The absence of the Golden Lion and other main awards weakened the festival’s international profile, reducing its attractiveness for a part of the film industry and the public.

Festival Interruptions

The crisis of the Festival in the 1970s was further exacerbated by several interruptions. The festival was not held in 1973, 1977, and 1978. In 1977, instead of the usual event, only a review specifically dedicated to Eastern European cinema was organized. These interruptions were a clear symptom of the profound crisis the festival was undergoing.

The difficulties of the Venice Film Festival in this decade were not an isolated phenomenon but were part of a broader picture of identity and financial crisis that many Italian cultural institutions faced in that period, marked by strong political instability, growing social tensions (the so-called “Years of Lead”), and economic difficulties. The phrase “following the reform of the Biennale,” mentioned in some sources as the cause of the interruptions, also suggests that internal reorganizations within the main body may have contributed to this phase of uncertainty and reduced activity.

The “Suspended” Golden Lion

Consequently, the Golden Lion, a symbol of the Festival’s prestige, was not awarded for over a decade. Its return to the scene would only occur in 1980, marking the beginning of a new phase of relaunch and recovery of lost prestige. This long non-competitive interlude and frequent interruptions created a vacuum that other emerging or more stable film festivals could exploit to increase their influence, making Venice’s subsequent “rebirth” in the 1980s more arduous and significant.

VI. The Rebirth and the Eighties: The Return of the Golden Lion and New Discoveries

After the turbulent decade of protest and non-competitiveness, the 1980s marked a period of significant rebirth and rediscovered international prestige for the Venice International Film Festival. Under the guidance of new artistic directions, the festival managed to renew itself, returning to the competitive formula and reasserting itself as one of the most important film events in the world.

The Return to Competitiveness (1980)

The turning point was the return of the Golden Lion award in 1980. This decision, made under the new direction of Carlo Lizzani (in office from 1979 to 1982), was part of a broader strategy aimed at restoring the festival’s image and influence on the international scene, after the loss of centrality suffered in the 1970s. The choice to award ex aequo two directors of great caliber and different origins, such as Frenchman Louis Malle for Atlantic City, U.S.A. and American John Cassavetes for Gloria, was a clear sign of this renewed ambition and global openness.

A Golden Decade for the Festival

The 1980s are often considered a true “golden age” for the Venice Film Festival¹, characterized by rich and courageous programming, capable of attracting great auteurs and discovering new talents.

In 1981, the Golden Lion went to the West German film Die bleiernen Jahre (Marianne and Juliane) by Margarethe von Trotta, an intense work that reflected the political and social tensions of the time.

The 1982 edition saw the triumph of another master of New German Cinema, Wim Wenders, with Der Stand der Dinge (The State of Things). That year, the Festival hosted, often out of competition or in parallel sections, films destined to become iconic, such as Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, and Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America, demonstrating an ability to intercept great cinema in all its forms.

The Golden Lion of 1983 was awarded to Prénom Carmen (First Name: Carmen) by the legendary Jean-Luc Godard⁸, while in 1984 Polish director Krzysztof Zanussi won with Rok spokojnego słońca (A Year of the Quiet Sun).⁸

France triumphed again in 1985 with Sans toit ni loi (Vagabond) by Agnès Varda, one of the most important female figures of the Nouvelle Vague, and in 1986 with Le Rayon vert (The Green Ray) by Éric Rohmer.⁸

1987 was a year of particular renewal for the Festival, which enjoyed strong public support and intensified its search for new auteurs and works from cinematographies then considered emerging or less known in the West, such as those of India, Lebanon, Switzerland, Norway, Korea, and Turkey. That year’s Golden Lion went to Louis Malle for the second time in his career, with the moving Au revoir les enfants (Goodbye, Children).

The 1988 edition is remembered for the presentation of Martin Scorsese’s controversial film The Last Temptation of Christ, which sparked wide debate, and for contributing to the international discovery of Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar. In these years, the Festival also enriched its offering with new sections such as “Orizzonti,” “Special Events,” and “Notte,” aimed at exploring different facets of contemporary film production. The Golden Lion of 1988 was won by an Italian cinema master, Ermanno Olmi, for La leggenda del santo bevitore (The Legend of the Holy Drinker).

The decade concluded with the victory, in 1989, of the Taiwanese film Beiqing chengshi (A City of Sadness) by Hou Hsiao-hsien, confirming the festival’s attention to quality Asian cinematographies.

This “new course” of the 1980s allowed the Venice Film Festival to fully recover its status in the circuit of major international festivals. The ability to attract great auteurs and high-profile films again, combined with an active role in discovering new cinematographies and emerging talents, consolidated its influence. The Festival demonstrated a balanced editorial strategy, hosting controversial films that stimulated cultural debate and, at the same time, popular blockbusters, maintaining high media attention without sacrificing artistic research. This versatility – a showcase for high society, a platform for auteur cinema, and a place for discussion – strengthened its image as a central and indispensable cultural event in the world of cinema.

VII. From the Nineties to the New Millennium: Consolidation and New Sections

Continuing on the wave of the eighties’ rebirth, the Venice International Film Festival faced the nineties and the entry into the new millennium by consolidating its prestige, continuing to award great international auteurs and paying attention to the evolutions of cinematographic language and production technologies.

The Nineties: Great Auteurs and International Co-productions

The decade opened with the 1990 Golden Lion awarded to Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, the directorial debut of the famous playwright Tom Stoppard. In 1991, the prize went to Urga by Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov, a Soviet-French co-production that explored distant landscapes and cultures.

Asian cinema continued to be a protagonist in Venice: in 1992, Chinese director Zhang Yimou won with Qiu Ju da guan si (The Story of Qiu Ju).

The 1993 and 1994 editions were characterized by Golden Lions awarded ex aequo, a choice that could reflect either an exceptional average quality of the films in competition, a difficulty for the jury in reaching a unanimous consensus, or even a desire to simultaneously recognize multiple significant trends or cinematographies in a rapidly transforming world panorama after the end of the Cold War. In 1993, the prize was shared by American Robert Altman’s Short Cuts and Polish Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Trois couleurs: Bleu (Three Colors: Blue). The following year, in 1994, the ex aequo went to Macedonian Milčo Mančevski’s Pred doždot (Before the Rain) and Taiwanese Tsai Ming-liang’s Aiqing wansui (Vive L’Amour). While sharing the prize can dilute the uniqueness of the recognition, it also testifies to the richness and complexity of the cinema of that period, with the Festival acting as an interpreter of such diversity.

In 1995, the Golden Lion was won by Xích lô (Cyclo) by Franco-Vietnamese director Trần Anh Hùng. The following year, in 1996, the prize went to Michael Collins by Irishman Neil Jordan, an imposing historical reconstruction.

Japan triumphed again in 1997 with Hana-bi (Fireworks) by Takeshi Kitano, a work that definitively consecrated the director internationally. In 1998, the Golden Lion awarded Italian cinema with Gianni Amelio’s Così ridevano (The Way We Laughed).⁸

The decade closed with a second Golden Lion victory for Zhang Yimou, who in 1999 won the prize with Yi ge dou bu neng shao (Not One Less).

Early 2000s: Innovation and New Technologies

The entry into the new millennium saw the Venice Film Festival continue on the path of prestige, but also decisively open up to innovation and the new challenges posed by the evolution of the film industry.

In 2000, the Golden Lion was awarded to Dayereh (The Circle) by Iranian Jafar Panahi, a powerful and courageous film about the condition of women in his country. The following year, in 2001, Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding won, a vibrant international co-production celebrating Indian culture.

2002 was a significant year for the introduction of the “Controcorrente” (originally “Upstream”) section, dedicated to “films of particular vitality and originality,” often first or second works, or works by auteurs experimenting with new languages. This new section demonstrated the Festival’s desire to remain a platform for discovery and innovation, not limiting itself to the consecration of more traditional works. The Golden Lion of 2002 went to The Magdalene Sisters by Peter Mullan, a dramatic Irish-British film.

In 2003, the top recognition was for the Russian film Vozvraščenie (The Return) by Andrey Zvyagintsev, a debut work of great visual and narrative impact.

Attention to new technologies was evident in 2004 with the proposal of the “Digital Cinema” section (previously “New Digital Territories” or “Net Image”), which explored the creative potential offered by new means of production and dissemination. In the same year, Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement were awarded to two cinema giants, Manoel de Oliveira and Stanley Donen. The Golden Lion for best film of 2004 was awarded to Vera Drake by British director Mike Leigh.

The ability to evolve and integrate technological and artistic novelties proved crucial for a historic festival like Venice, allowing it to maintain its relevance over time and to continue to be a place of discovery and anticipation of the future directions of cinema.

VIII. The Festival in the 21st Century (2005-Present): Global Challenges, New Auteurs, and Diversity

Throughout the 21st century, the Venice International Film Festival has continued to represent an indispensable reference point in the global film landscape. It has managed to face contemporary challenges, promote new auteurs from every corner of the world, and broaden its thematic and formal horizons, confirming its status as an avant-garde festival.

Continued Prestige and Recognition for Diverse Cinematographies

The Golden Lion honor roll in the new millennium testifies to an extraordinary geographical openness and an ability to intercept works of great artistic value from heterogeneous cultural contexts.

In 2005, the Golden Lion was awarded to Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, a film that sensitively addressed the theme of homosexual love in the context of the American West. The following year, in 2006, the prize went to Chinese director Jia Zhangke for Sanxia haoren (Still Life), a poetic and critical work on the transformation of contemporary China. Ang Lee won his second Golden Lion in 2007 with Se, jie (Lust, Caution), becoming one of the few directors to achieve this double recognition.

American cinema returned to victory in 2008 with Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler, which also marked a great comeback for actor Mickey Rourke. In 2009, the Golden Lion awarded Israeli cinema with Samuel Maoz’s Levanon (Lebanon), a claustrophobic war drama.

Sofia Coppola was the winner in 2010 with Somewhere, followed in 2011 by Russian Aleksandr Sokurov with his imposing adaptation of Faust. In 2012, the Golden Lion went to controversial South Korean director Kim Ki-duk for Pietà.

A significant turning point occurred in 2013, when for the first time in the Festival’s history, the Golden Lion was awarded to a documentary: Sacro GRA by Italian Gianfranco Rosi, an unprecedented portrait of life around Rome’s Great Ring Road. This choice signaled a notable openness of the festival to cinematographic forms previously considered less “auteurial” or for main competition, reflecting an evolution in the very concept of art cinema.

In 2014, the prize went to Swedish director Roy Andersson for the highly original En duva satt på en gren och funderade på tillvaron (A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence). 2015 saw the victory of Venezuelan Lorenzo Vigas with Desde allá (From Afar), the first Venezuelan film to receive such recognition. In 2016, the Golden Lion was won by Filipino Lav Diaz with his long and intense work Ang Babaeng Humayo (The Woman Who Left).

Mexican Guillermo del Toro won in 2017 with the dark fable The Shape of Water, which would later also triumph at the Oscars. The following year, in 2018, it was the turn of another Mexican director, Alfonso Cuarón, with Roma, an autobiographical work of great visual and emotional impact, which also marked the first victory for a film produced by a streaming platform (Netflix) at a major festival, indicating a further opening of the Festival towards new production and distribution models.

2019 saw another historic event: the Golden Lion was awarded to Todd Phillips’ Joker, the first film based on a comic book character to compete and win the top prize in Venice, demonstrating the festival’s ability to artistically legitimize works from popular genres as well.

Director Chloé Zhao triumphed in 2020 with Nomadland, a touching portrait of contemporary America. In 2021, the Golden Lion went to the French film L’Événement (Happening) by Audrey Diwan, an intense drama on the theme of abortion.

2022 saw the second documentary in the Festival’s history win the Golden Lion: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed by American Laura Poitras, a work that intertwines art, activism, and social denunciation. In 2023, the prize was awarded to Poor Things by Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, a visionary and provocative work. Finally, in 2024, the Golden Lion was won by The Room Next Door by Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, marking the first win for a Spanish film in the festival’s history.

This remarkable geographical and genre diversity of the winners testifies to the Festival’s consolidated role as a genuinely global platform, capable of valuing cinematographic excellence from every continent and reflecting an ever-evolving film landscape.

New Sections and Attention to Sustainability

In addition to the main awards, the Festival has continued to evolve structurally. In 2017, a competitive section dedicated to Virtual Reality (VR) films was introduced, called “Venice Immersive” (previously Venice VR), testifying to the festival’s interest in new frontiers of audiovisual storytelling.

In parallel, there has been a growing significant focus on the issues of environmental impact and the sustainability of large-scale cultural events. The Festival has begun to implement practices aimed at reducing its ecological footprint and promoting greater awareness of these issues within the film industry, collaborating with sustainability experts and evaluating emissions offsetting.

This projection towards the future, which combines technological innovation with environmental responsibility, indicates a Festival aware of contemporary challenges and its role in promoting a more responsible film industry in step with the times.

IX. Honor Roll: The Winning Films of the Main Prize of the Venice International Film Festival

The history of the main prize of the Venice International Film Festival is complex and reflects the evolution of the festival itself. Before listing the winning films, it is useful to briefly review the transformations of the name of the highest award and the periods when it was not assigned.

Summary Table of the Evolution of the Main Prize

Below is the chronological list of films that have won the main prize of the Venice International Film Festival, with the film title, year, director, country of production, a link to a trailer or significant clip on YouTube, and a brief description.

Man of Aran 1934 (Robert J. Flaherty, United Kingdom/Ireland)

(Winner Mussolini Cup Best Foreign Film)

The island of Aran, an inhospitable rock off the western Irish coast, is the stage for the harsh life of a small community of fishermen and shepherds. The film, halfway between documentary and fiction, narrates their perennial struggle against the ocean and the forces of nature, punctuated by natural cycles and the daily quest for survival.

Teresa Confalonieri 1934 (Guido Brignone, Italy)

(Winner Mussolini Cup Best Italian Film)

The film tells the story of Teresa Confalonieri, a famous figure of the Italian Risorgimento. In 1821, her husband, Count Federico Confalonieri, a Carbonaro, is arrested by the Austrians and sentenced to death. Teresa undertakes a strenuous struggle, imploring the powerful in Vienna to obtain a pardon for her husband, whose death sentence is finally commuted to life imprisonment.

Anna Karenina 1935 (Clarence Brown, USA)

(Winner Mussolini Cup Best Foreign Film)

Based on Leo Tolstoy’s famous novel, the film recounts the overwhelming and tragic love story between Anna Karenina, wife of a high-ranking Russian official, and army officer Count Vronsky. For him, Anna abandons her marriage, son, and social position, heading towards a dramatic destiny. 28

Casta Diva 1935 (Carmine Gallone, Italy)

(Winner Mussolini Cup Best Italian Film)

The film romanticizes the youth of composer Vincenzo Bellini. In love with Maddalena Fumaroli, he composes the famous aria “Casta Diva” for her. Having achieved success, Bellini will insert this aria into the opera Norma, saving it from a potential fiasco and consecrating his fame.

The Emperor of California (L’imperatore della California) 1936 (Luis Trenker, Nazi Germany)

(Winner Mussolini Cup Best Foreign Film)

In the early nineteenth century, Johann August Sutter, a German citizen of Swiss origin, emigrates to North America for political reasons. Settling in the valleys around Sacramento, he founds a prosperous ranch. However, the discovery of gold on his lands triggers a rush for appropriation that will lead to his ruin.

The White Squadron (Lo squadrone bianco) 1936 (Augusto Genina, Italy)

(Winner Mussolini Cup Best Italian Film)

A cavalry officer, disappointed in love, volunteers for the Italian camel troops in Libya. Life in the desert is extremely harsh, but the young officer faces every trial with courage, proving his worth and witnessing the heroic death of his captain, ultimately choosing to remain faithful to his duty.

Un Carnet de Bal (Carnet di ballo) 1937 (Julien Duvivier, France)

(Winner Mussolini Cup Best Foreign Film)

A young widow, Christine, rediscovers an old dance card after sixteen years. This discovery prompts her to track down her various dance partners from that time to find out what became of them. The journey into memory leads her to confront the past and the realization that the beautiful moments spent cannot return, pushing her to dedicate herself to the orphaned son of the man she had loved most.

Scipio Africanus: The Defeat of Hannibal (Scipione l’africano) 1937 (Carmine Gallone, Italy)

(Winner Mussolini Cup Best Italian Film)

This historical epic recounts the deeds of Publius Cornelius Scipio during the Second Punic War. After the disastrous Roman defeat at Cannae at the hands of Hannibal, the film narrates Scipio’s military campaign in Africa, culminating in the decisive Roman victory at the Battle of Zama, marking the end of Carthaginian power.

Olympia 1938 (Leni Riefenstahl, Nazi Germany)

(Winner Mussolini Cup Best Foreign Film)

A monumental documentary about the 1936 Berlin Olympics, divided into two parts: “Festival of Nations” and “Festival of Beauty.” The film, commissioned by the Nazi regime, celebrates the sporting event with an imposing and innovative aesthetic for the time, but is also imbued with propagandistic elements, exalting the Aryan ideal and the power of Nazi Germany. It captures mass images of the audience, the personalities present, including Adolf Hitler, and the athletic competitions.

Luciano Serra, Pilot (Luciano Serra pilota) 1938 (Goffredo Alessandrini, Italy)

(Winner Mussolini Cup Best Italian Film)

Luciano Serra, a heroic World War I pilot, struggles to adapt to civilian life after the war and, for the love of flying, risks losing his family’s affection. Abandoned by his wife and believed dead in an accident, he volunteers under a false name for the Ethiopian War. There, he finds his son, also a pilot, and saves his life by sacrificing his own.

Cardinal Messias (Abuna Messias) 1939 (Goffredo Alessandrini, Italy)

(Winner Mussolini Cup Best Italian Film)

The film narrates the life of Cardinal Guglielmo Massaia, a missionary and evangelizer of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in the 19th century. Arriving in Africa alone and without government support, Massaia, nicknamed “Abuna Messias,” forms an alliance with King Menelik but must face the hostility of Abuna Atanasio and the emperor, who eventually force him to abandon his mission.

Der Postmeister (The Postmaster) 1940 (Gustav Ucicky, Nazi Germany)

(Winner Mussolini Cup Best Foreign Film)

Based on a novella by Alexander Pushkin, the film tells the story of Dunja, the beautiful daughter of a naive and lovable postmaster. The girl falls madly in love with cavalry captain Minskij, who convinces her to follow him to Saint Petersburg with the promise of marriage. There, the officer dishonors her, making her a kept woman of high society. Her devastated father sets out to find her.

The Siege of the Alcazar (L’assedio dell’Alcazar) 1940 (Augusto Genina, Italy)

War propaganda film celebrating the resistance of the Spanish Nationalist forces besieged in the Alcázar of Toledo during the Spanish Civil War. The work extols the heroism and sacrifice of the defenders against the Republican forces.

Ohm Krüger (Uncle Krüger) 1941 (Hans Steinhoff, Nazi Germany)

(Winner Mussolini Cup Best Foreign Film)

Anti-British propaganda biographical film that tells the life of Paul Kruger, Boer leader and president of the South African Republic, and his struggle against the British Empire during the Second Boer War. The film portrays the British as ruthless and duplicitous, and the Boers as heroic victims.

The White Ship (La nave bianca) 1941 (Roberto Rossellini, Italy)

A propaganda work made with the supervision of the Italian Royal Navy, the film tells the story of life aboard an Italian warship during a naval action. After being hit, the crew is rescued by a hospital ship (the “white ship”), where the wounded are cared for by dedicated Red Cross nurses, finding some serenity. The film is considered one of the precursors of Neorealism.

The Great King (Der große König) 1942 (Veit Harlan, Nazi Germany)

(Winner Mussolini Cup Best Foreign Film)

Monumental historical film glorifying the figure of Frederick II of Prussia, known as Frederick the Great. Set during the Seven Years’ War, the film portrays the Prussian king as a charismatic leader and military genius, capable of leading his country to victory against superior adversaries, exalting the spirit of sacrifice and Prussian discipline. It was an important propaganda production of the Third Reich.

Bengasi 1942 (Augusto Genina, Italy)

(Winner Mussolini Cup Best Italian Film)

War propaganda film set during the North African campaign in World War II. It narrates the events of some Italian civilians and soldiers during the British occupation of Benghazi and the subsequent reconquest by Italo-German forces. The film extols Italian heroism and loyalty to the homeland.

Grand International Prize of Venice

The Southerner 1946 (Jean Renoir, USA)

(Winner Prize of the Journalists’ Jury)

Sam Tucker, a poor Texas sharecropper, decides to farm a neglected plot of land on his own to offer a better future for his family. He faces a year of hard battles against illness, bad weather (a flood), and the hostility of a jealous neighbor, fighting for survival and the dream of an independent existence.

The Strike (Siréna) 1947 (Karel Steklý, Czechoslovakia)

(Winner Grand International Prize of Venice)

Set in a Bohemian mining town at the end of the 19th century, the film, stylistically close to Italian neorealism, tells the story of a miners’ strike. The protest, caused by low wages and miserable living conditions, is harshly repressed by the police, and an angry mob attacks the home of the industrialist responsible.

Hamlet 1948 (Laurence Olivier, United Kingdom)

(Winner Grand International Prize of Venice)

A film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s famous tragedy. Prince Hamlet of Denmark suspects that his father, the King, was murdered by his brother Claudius, who usurped the throne and married the widow, Gertrude. The ghost of the father appears to Hamlet, confirming the crime and demanding revenge, triggering a spiral of madness (real or feigned), intrigue, and death.

Lion of Saint Mark / Golden Lion

Manon 1949 (Henri-Georges Clouzot, France)

(Winner Lion of Saint Mark)

A free adaptation of Abbé Prévost’s novel Manon Lescaut, set during World War II. Robert Des Grieux, a French Resistance fighter, saves Manon, a young woman accused of collaboration with the Nazis. An overwhelming passion develops between the two, leading them on a desperate flight and a series of compromises, culminating in a tragic epilogue in the desert as they try to reach Palestine.

Justice is Done (Justice est faite) 1950 (André Cayatte, France)

(Winner Lion of Saint Mark)

The film explores the workings of justice through the trial of Elsa Lundenstein, accused of euthanizing her terminally ill husband. The narrative focuses on the deliberations of the popular jury, whose members are influenced by their own life experiences and personal prejudices, leading to divergent interpretations of the presented facts and raising complex moral questions.

Rashomon 1951 (Akira Kurosawa, Japan)

(Winner Lion of Saint Mark)

In medieval Japan, a woodcutter, a monk, and a commoner take shelter from a storm under the dilapidated Rashomon gate. They discuss a recent and bewildering crime: the murder of a samurai and the rape of his wife in a forest by a notorious bandit, Tajomaru. The event is narrated through four contradictory testimonies: that of the bandit, the wife, the samurai’s spirit (evoked by a medium), and the woodcutter, who claims to have secretly witnessed it. The film explores the relativity of truth and the nature of human memory.

Forbidden Games (Jeux interdits) 1952 (René Clément, France)

(Winner Lion of Saint Mark)

During the French exodus of June 1940, little Paulette, five or six years old, loses her parents and her puppy in a German air raid. Traumatized, she is taken in by a peasant family and forms a deep friendship with their ten-year-old son, Michel. Together, the two children try to process grief and the brutality of war by creating a secret animal cemetery, an innocent and macabre game that reflects the adult world.

(1953: No Lion of Saint Mark awarded)

Romeo and Juliet (Giulietta e Romeo) 1954 (Renato Castellani, Italy/United Kingdom)

(Winner Golden Lion)

A film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s famous tragedy. In Renaissance Verona, the Montague and Capulet families are divided by an ancestral hatred. Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet fall madly in love, but their passion is thwarted by the family feud, leading them to a tragic destiny. The film is known for its realistic approach and evocative filming in original locations.

Ordet (The Word) 1955 (Carl Theodor Dreyer, Denmark)

(Winner Golden Lion)

Set in the Danish countryside in the early 20th century, the film explores themes of faith, doubt, and miracle through the events of the Borgen family. The patriarch Morten, his three sons – Mikkel, married and atheist; Johannes, a theology student driven mad who believes he is Jesus Christ; and young Anders, in love with the daughter of a tailor from a different religious denomination – face a spiritual and family crisis that culminates in the death and possible resurrection of Inger, Mikkel’s wife.

(1956: No Golden Lion awarded)

Aparajito (The Unvanquished) 1957 (Satyajit Ray, India)

(Winner Golden Lion)

The second chapter of the “Apu Trilogy,” the film follows the growth of young Apu. After his father’s death in Benares, Apu and his mother Sarbajaya move to a village in Bengal. Apu excels in his studies and obtains a scholarship to attend college in Calcutta. His departure and growing independence cause deep sorrow for his mother, who feels increasingly lonely. The film explores the conflict between individual aspirations and family ties.

Muhomatsu, The Rickshaw Man (Muhomatsu no issho) 1958 (Hiroshi Inagaki, Japan)

(Winner Golden Lion)

Set in early 20th century Japan, the film tells the story of Matsugoro, a poor but lively and generous rickshaw driver. After helping an injured child, Toshio, Matsu becomes friends with his family. When Toshio’s father dies suddenly, Matsu takes on a paternal role for the boy and secretly falls in love with the widowed mother, Yoshiko, despite being aware of the great social class difference that separates them.

The Great War (La grande guerra) 1959 (Mario Monicelli, Italy/France)

(Winner Golden Lion ex aequo)

During World War I, in 1916, Roman Oreste Jacovacci and Milanese Giovanni Busacca, two shirking, cunning, and fundamentally cowardly soldiers, try in every way to avoid the dangers of the front. Despite initial differences and bickering, the two form an unlikely friendship. Captured by the Austrians during the retreat of Caporetto, they will face an extreme choice that will lead them to an unexpected act of heroism.

General Della Rovere (Il generale Della Rovere) 1959 (Roberto Rossellini, Italy/France)

(Winner Golden Lion ex aequo)

Genoa, 1944, during the Nazi-Fascist occupation. Emanuele Bardone, a swindler who poses as Colonel Grimaldi, extorts money from the families of political prisoners by promising intercessions. Discovered and arrested by the Gestapo, he agrees to collaborate with the Nazis: he must infiltrate the San Vittore prison pretending to be General Della Rovere, a Resistance leader just executed, to extract information from political detainees. The experience will profoundly transform him.

Tomorrow Is My Turn (Le Passage du Rhin) 1960 (André Cayatte, France/Italy/West Germany)

(Winner Golden Lion)

During World War II, after the defeat of France in 1940, two French soldiers, pastry chef Roger Perrin and journalist Jean Durrieu, are taken prisoner and sent as forced laborers to a German farm. Roger integrates into rural life, sharing the joys and sorrows of the peasants, while Jean seduces Helga, the burgomaster’s daughter, hoping to find a way to escape and return to fight. The film explores different human reactions to captivity and war.

Last Year at Marienbad (L’année dernière à Marienbad) 1961 (Alain Resnais, France/Italy)

(Winner Golden Lion)

In a sumptuous and labyrinthine baroque hotel, a man (X) tries to convince a woman (A) that they met the previous year, perhaps at Marienbad, and had an affair, promising to flee together. She does not remember or denies it. Through fragments of conversations, uncertain memories, and enigmatic situations, the film explores the nature of time, memory, and reality, in a dreamlike and non-linear narrative structure.

Family Diary (Cronaca familiare) 1962 (Valerio Zurlini, Italy)

(Winner Golden Lion ex aequo)

Based on Vasco Pratolini’s autobiographical novel of the same name, the film tells the story of two brothers, Enrico and Lorenzo (Dino in the film). Upon hearing of the premature death of his younger brother Lorenzo, Enrico, a Roman journalist, recalls their past: their separation in childhood, Lorenzo raised by his poor grandmother and then entrusted to a wealthy butler, while Enrico remained with his grandmother. The film explores the complex and sometimes painful fraternal bond, marked by distance and a deep but unexpressed affection.

Ivan’s Childhood (Ivanovo detstvo) 1962 (Andrei Tarkovsky, Soviet Union)

(Winner Golden Lion ex aequo)

During World War II on the Eastern Front, twelve-year-old Ivan Bondarev, whose parents were killed by German soldiers, works as a courageous scout for the Red Army, crossing enemy lines through swamps and rivers. Despite the attempts of some officers to protect him by sending him to the rear, Ivan is consumed by a desire for revenge and refuses to abandon the fight. The film is a powerful indictment of war and the loss of innocence.

Hands Over the City (Le mani sulla città) 1963 (Francesco Rosi, Italy)

(Winner Golden Lion)

Naples, early sixties. The collapse of a building in a working-class neighborhood, caused by speculative construction work, triggers an investigation and a heated political debate. At the center of the story is Edoardo Nottola, a powerful building contractor and right-wing city councilor, who maneuvers to protect his interests and continue his business, moving between corruption, political intrigue, and cynicism. The film is a ruthless denunciation of building speculation and the links between economic and political power.

Red Desert (Il deserto rosso) 1964 (Michelangelo Antonioni, Italy/France)

(Winner Golden Lion)

Giuliana, the young wife of an industrial engineer in Ravenna, lives a profound existential crisis and a sense of alienation. Recovering from a car accident that traumatized her, she struggles to find meaning in her life, surrounded by a cold and polluted industrial landscape that seems to reflect her inner malaise. She meets Corrado, a colleague of her husband, with whom she has a brief affair, but even this fails to fill her void. Antonioni’s first color film, which uses color expressionistically.

Sandra of a Thousand Delights (Vaghe stelle dell’Orsa…) 1965 (Luchino Visconti, Italy)

(Winner Golden Lion)

Sandra (Claudia Cardinale) returns with her American husband Andrew to her hometown, Volterra, for a ceremony in honor of her Jewish father, a scientist deported and killed by the Nazis. The return to the decadent family home awakens ghosts of the past: the ambiguous and almost incestuous relationship with her brother Gianni, a failed writer, the difficult ties with her sick mother and her current partner, suspected of having betrayed her father. Unresolved secrets and tensions emerge, leading to a tragic epilogue.

The Battle of Algiers (La battaglia di Algeri) 1966 (Gillo Pontecorvo, Algeria/Italy)

(Winner Golden Lion)

The film reconstructs with documentary style and great realism the crucial events of the Battle of Algiers (1954-1957) during the Algerian War of Independence from French rule. The narrative follows the rise of Ali La Pointe, a petty criminal who becomes one of the leaders of the National Liberation Front (FLN) in the Casbah, and the ruthless repression carried out by French paratroopers led by Colonel Mathieu. The film explores the violence and tactics of both sides.

Belle de Jour (Beauty of the Day) 1967 (Luis Buñuel, France/Italy)

(Winner Golden Lion)

Séverine Serizy, the young and beautiful wife of a successful Parisian surgeon, Pierre, is apparently happy but inwardly frigid and tormented by sadomasochistic erotic fantasies. Dissatisfied with her married life, she secretly decides to work during the day in a luxury brothel under the pseudonym “Belle de Jour.” This double life exposes her to risky encounters and situations, increasingly blurring reality and fantasy.

Artists Under the Big Top: Perplexed (Die Artisten in der Zirkuskuppel: ratlos) 1968 (Alexander Kluge, West Germany)

(Winner Golden Lion)

Leni Peickert, daughter of a circus artist who died tragically, inherits his dream of creating a reformed and modern circus, capable of competing with new forms of entertainment like television. She faces financial and conceptual difficulties in trying to realize this utopian project, which reflects the contradictions and aspirations of an era of great social and cultural change. The film mixes fiction, documentary, and film essay.

(1969-1979: No Golden Lion awarded due to the non-competitive phase of the festival. The festival was not held in 1973, 1977, 1978)

Atlantic City, U.S.A. 1980 (Louis Malle, Canada/France)

(Winner Golden Lion ex aequo)

Lou Pascal, an elderly small-time gangster living by his wits in decaying Atlantic City, still dreams of past glories. His life intertwines with that of Sally Matthews, a young casino waitress aspiring to become a successful croupier in Europe. The arrival of Sally’s ex-husband, entangled in mafia-stolen drug trafficking, drags them both into a spiral of danger and violence, offering Lou one last, illusory chance at greatness.

Gloria 1980 (John Cassavetes, USA)

(Winner Golden Lion ex aequo)

Gloria Swenson, a former mob boss’s girlfriend, finds herself having to protect Phil, a six-year-old Puerto Rican boy, after his family is exterminated by the mafia. The boy’s father, an accountant for the organization, entrusted him with a damning ledger before dying. Initially reluctant, Gloria undertakes a desperate escape through New York with Phil, pursued by mafia killers, transforming into a tough and protective maternal figure.