From Johnny Depp and Tilda Swinton to much awaited drama 'The Danish Girl,' both the stars and the films are hot in Venice. Here are the highlights from the Lido.
Image: G. Cacace/AFP/Getty Images
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Highlights of the Venice Film Festival
Stars on the Lido: Johnny Depp and his wife Amber Heard, Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne and director Aleksander Sokurov present themselves on the red carpet in Venice. Here is a look at the stars and their films.
Image: Reuters/S. Rellandini
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard
US superstar Johnny Depp has attracted most of the attention on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival. He was accompanied by his wife, actress Amber Heard, who stars in the film "The Danish Girl," which premiered at the festival. Here are more highlights from the week.
Image: Reuters/S. Rellandini
Eddie Redmayne as 'The Danish Girl'
He may not yet be quite as well known as Johnny Depp, but British actor Eddie Redmayne is a rising star. At the beginning of the year, he received an Oscar for portraying physicist Stephen Hawking. Now he plays a transsexual in 1920s Copenhagen in "The Danish Girl."
Image: Universal
Star director Aleksander Sokurov
Russian filmmaker Aleksander Sokurov has long enjoyed star status. In Venice, he presented his work, "Frankofonia," and was joined on the red carpet by actress Ekaterina Mtsitouridze.
Image: Getty Images/T. Fewings
Cinematic experiment
A mixture of documentary and fiction, Sokurov's "Frankofonia" combines various film genres and blurs the lines between historical eras. While portraying the German occupation of Paris during World War II, Napoleon also comes up in Sokurov's film.
Image: Venedig Film Festival
Facing up to difficult issues
During the competition, much acclaim has gone to Cary Fukunaga and his drama on child soldiers, "Beasts of No Nation." Young actor Abraham Attah was applauded for playing a boy who was mistreated and abused as a child soldier by warlords in an unnamed West African country.
Image: Getty Images/I. Gavan
'Looking for Grace'
Sue Brook's drama - Australia's contribution to the competition in Venice - is all about the relationship between parents and their young daughter Grace who disappears after having plundered the family's safe. Grace wants to attend a concert of her favorite band. "A film that is so funny that it makes you cry" is how one critic described the work.
Image: Fortissimo Films
The red carpet dance
The appearances of the stars on the red carpet are just as important as their films. Pictured is the team from "A Bigger Splash": Matthias Schoenaerts, Dakota Johnson, director Luca Guadagnino, Tilda Swinton, Corrado Guzzanti and Ralph Fiennes (from left to right).
Image: Reuters/M. Silvestri
An ode to music
The theme of music dominates France's contribution to the competition: "Marguerite" by director Xavier Giannoli. Catherine Frot plays an affluent lady surrounding herself with eccentric music lovers during the 1920s in Paris. She fails, however, to impress her friends with her own singing.
Image: Memento Films
Suspense until Saturday
Who will win the Golden Lion? That be decided on Saturday, September 12, when the awards will be handed out. The jury presided by Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón will have to decide from among the 21 contributions.
Image: Reuters/M. Silvestri
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Depp and his wife, amber Heard weren't the only stars to leave there mark at the Venice Film Festival. Watch the video to see which other celebrities have been making waves at the Lido.
Venice Film Festival
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The festival got off to an "icy" start on September 2 with the 3D climbing drama, "Everest." Watch for more on the film, which is based on a true story.
