Penelope Cruz took home the award for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday, the latest success for the all-conquering queen of Spanish cinema.
Cruz won for her starring role in Parallel Mothers, her latest collaboration with Spanish director Pedro Almodovar.
It was a surprisingly political turn for the flamboyant filmmaker, exploring the trauma of Spain's civil war alongside the tale of two mothers sharing a maternity ward.
It marks a departure into dark historical territory for the director, while still focusing on the themes of motherhood and female relationships that have been central to many of his films.
Cruz thanked her director and frequent collaborator for “inspiring me every day with your search for truth”.
“You have created magic again and I could not be more grateful or proud to be part of it,” she said. “I adore you.”
The Best Actor award was less expected, going to Filipino star John Arcilla for crime thriller On The Job: The Missing 8. Arcilla plays a radio host forced to rethink his support for the government after a series of assassinations.
The film, by Erik Matti, is a sequel to the 2013 acclaimed film On The Job. Matti accepted the award on behalf of Arcilla at the ceremony on Saturday.
The coveted Golden Lion for Best Film went to a hard-hitting French drama about illegal abortion in the 1960s.
Audrey Diwan’s L’Evenement (Happening), about a French college student who finds herself with an unwanted pregnancy, was the unanimous choice from a prestigious jury that included recent Oscar winners Bong Joon-ho and Chloe Zhao.
“I did this movie with anger. I did the movie with desire also. I did it with my belly, my guts, my heart, my head,” Diwan said. “I wanted Happening to be an experience.”
Diwan is the sixth woman to have directed a Golden Lion-winning film, following Zhao (Nomadland), Margarethe Von Trotta (Marianne & Juliane), Agnes Varda (Vagabond), Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding) and Sofia Coppola (Somewhere).
Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God, based on a formative personal tragedy, took the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize while Jane Campion won the Silver Lion for Best Director for her period epic The Power of the Dog. It’s her second time winning a runner-up prize at Venice. Her first was in 1990 for An Angel at My Table, a Janet Frame biopic.
“It’s amazing to get an award from you people,” Campion said, talking to the jury standing beside her. “You’ve made the bar very, very high for me in cinema, Bong, Chloe.”
Maggie Gyllenhaal won Best Screenplay for her adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s 2008 novel The Lost Daughter, which is both her first screenplay and film as a director.
“I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be here,” Gyllenhaal said. “I was married in Italy, in Puglia. I found out I was pregnant with my second daughter in Italy. And really my life as a director and writer and my film was born here in this theatre.”
Gyllenhaal said her film is “Italian in its bones” even though it was shot in Greece and in the English language.
“In a way as women we have been born into an agreement to be silent and Ferrante broke that agreement,” Gyllenhaal said. “I had the same feeling seeing The Piano when I was in high school.”
The Venice Film Festival has in the past decade re-established itself as the pre-eminent launchpad for awards hopefuls. Zhao’s Nomadland won the top prize at Venice last year and went on to win Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor at the Oscars. In addition to Zhao and Bong, who served as president, the jury also included actors Sarah Gadon and Cynthia Erivo and directors Saverio Costanzo (My Brilliant Friend) and Alexander Nanau (Collective).
With Nomadland, it was the second time in four years that the Golden Lion winner had won Best Picture. Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water shared a similar path. Venice’s 2019 winner, Joker, went on to receive 10 Oscar nods, including one for Best Picture.
Not winning the top prize at Venice doesn’t end an Oscar campaign before it starts, though. Many eventual winners simply had their premiere at the festival, and not always even in the competition, before winning best picture (Birdman and Spotlight) or best director (Damien Chazelle for La La Land, Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity and Roma, del Toro for The Shape of Water and Alejandro G Inarritu for Birdman).
Some of this year’s biggest premieres were not part of the competition, including Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune and Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho.
In the Horizons section, which spotlights emerging filmmakers, Pilgrims by Laurynas Bareisa won Best Picture. The actor award went to Piseth Chhun of White Building and actress to Laure Calamy for A plein temps (Full Time), which also won best director for Eric Gravel.
The awards ceremony brings to a close the first major film festival of the autumn season which thus far has appeared to be a resounding success, despite the Delta variant. The Covid safety protocols were strict and the films strong.
But Venice also successfully brought the glamour back to a red carpet that may have been less crowded than usual but made up for in viral moments, from a teasingly tender embrace between co-stars Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain to the red carpet debut of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck – although perhaps it should be called a debut redo since the two rekindled a romance that ended 18 years ago.
Full list of winners of the Venice Film Festival 2021:
Main competition
- Best Actress: Penelope Cruz for Parallel Mothers
- Best Actor: John Arcilla for On the Job: Missing 8
- Best Young Actor: Filippo Scotti for The Hand of God
- Golden Lion for Best Director: Audrey Diwan for L’Evenement (Happening)
- Silver Lion for Best Director: Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog
- Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize: Paolo Sorrentino for The Hand of God
- Best Screenplay: Maggie Gyllenhaal for The Lost Daughter
- Special Jury Prize: Michelangelo Frammartino for Il Buco
Virtual Reality
- Best VR Story: David Adler for End of Night
- Best VR Experience: Blanca Li for Le bal de Paris de Blanca Li
- Best VR Grand Jury Prize: Barry Gene Murphy and May Abdalla for Goliath: Playing with Reality
- Lion of the Future: Monica Stan and George Chiper-Lillemark for Imaculat
Horizons
- Best Film: Pilgrims by Laurynas Bareisa
- Best Director: Eric Gravel for A Plein Temps
- Best Actor: Piseth Chhun for White Building
- Best Actress: Laure Calamy for A Plein Temps
- Orrizonti Audience Award: Teemu Nikki for The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic
- Best Short Film: Cristobal Leon and Joaquin Cocina for Los Huesos
- Best Screenplay: Peter Kerekes and Ivan Ostrochovsky for 107 Mothers
- Special Jury Prize: Kiro Russo for El Grand Movimiento
– Additional reporting by AFP, AP and Reuters
F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
More coverage from the Future Forum
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
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German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
GAC GS8 Specs
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THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
The Lowdown
Us
Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseqph, Evan Alex and Elisabeth Moss
Rating: 4/5
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
'Ashkal'
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Disturbing%20facts%20and%20figures
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E51%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20in%20the%20UAE%20feel%20like%20they%20are%20failing%20within%20the%20first%20year%20of%20parenthood%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E57%25%20vs%2043%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20is%20the%20number%20of%20mothers%20versus%20the%20number%20of%20fathers%20who%20feel%20they%E2%80%99re%20failing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E28%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20believe%20social%20media%20adds%20to%20the%20pressure%20they%20feel%20to%20be%20perfect%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E55%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20cannot%20relate%20to%20parenting%20images%20on%20social%20media%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E67%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20wish%20there%20were%20more%20honest%20representations%20of%20parenting%20on%20social%20media%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E53%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20admit%20they%20put%20on%20a%20brave%20face%20rather%20than%20being%20honest%20due%20to%20fear%20of%20judgment%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cspan%20style%3D%22font-size%3A%2014px%3B%22%3ESource%3A%20YouGov%3C%2Fspan%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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The%20specs
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