Spanish director Pedro Almodovar’s first English-language movie The Room Next Door, which tackles the hefty themes of euthanasia and climate change, won the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival yesterday.
Starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, the film received an 18-minute standing ovation when it premiered at Venice earlier in the week - one of the longest in recent memory.
Almodovar is a darling of the festival circuit and was awarded a lifetime achievement award at Venice in 2019 for his bold, irreverent and often funny Spanish-language features.
He also won an Oscar in the best foreign language category for his 1999 film All About My Mother. Now aged 74, he has decided to try his hand at English, telling reporters that it was like science fiction for him.
Speaking ahead of the premiere, he said his movie highlighted the importance of cherishing life, but also made clear that people should be able to die with dignity at a time of their choosing. “It’s a film in favour of euthanasia,” he said.
The runner-up Silver Lion award was a surprise, went to Italian director Maura Delpero for her slow-paced drama Vermiglio. Australia’s Nicole Kidman won the best actress award for her risque role in the erotic Babygirl, where she plays a hard-nosed CEO, who jeopardises both her career and her family by having a toxic affair.
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