The Swedish director Roy Andersson's film A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence, a series of comedic sketches exploring the human condition, won the Golden Lion award for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival.
The eccentric film – which features salesmen flogging novelty items, singing women in a bar and a flamenco-dancing Lothario – was hailed for its distinctive look and moving exploration of what it means to be human.
Joshua Oppenheimer's powerful documentary The Look of Silence had been widelt tipped to receive the prize. Instead, it took home the prestigious Grand Jury prize.
Andersson's film is the final part of a trilogy after Songs from the Second Floor and You, the Living and has a theatrical feel, with touches of Monty Python-esque comedy.
“It’s the first time a Swedish film wins the Golden Lion, I’m hugely proud,” he said.
The Lion of the Future for Best Debut Film went to the Indian director Chaitanya Tamhane's film Court, about the trial of a folk singer.
Rakhshan Bani-Etemad's Tales, a collection of stories about the difficulties of life in contemporary Iran, won Best Screenplay.
The American actor Adam Driver, from the HBO series Girls, won best actor for his portrayal of a desperate father trying to save his baby son's life in Hungry Hearts, the Italian director Saverio Costanzo's film about an eating disorder.
The Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher won Best Actress for her role in the same film.
The Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky took home the Silver Lion for Best Director for The Postman's White Nights, a warm-hearted tale about the loneliness of life in a remote lakeside community.
French star Paul Romain picked up the prize for Best Young Actor for his role as a boy who meets his father in Alex Delaport's Le Dernier Coup de Marteau.
First-time feature Sivas by Turkey's Kaan Mujdeci – a coming-of-age tale about a young boy who befriends a dog he saves – won the Special Jury Prize.
* AFP
