It is the strong themes that convince and triumph at Venice '81. The Golden Lion was awarded to Pedro Almodovar's chamber and syncopated euthanasia in "The Room Next Door", perhaps the least Almodovorian and authorial film by the Spanish director and the first in English.
Silver Lion instead for Italy with “Vermiglio” by Maura Delpero, a whispered story about the passing of time in the metaphysical landscape of the Dolomites on the border with Austria where there is war, but it is far away, in the valley. And where a small-big tragedy also takes place.
Below are all the official awards given this evening in the closing ceremony of the Venice International Film Festival in the Sala Grande at the Palazzo del Cinema:
- SILVER LION Award for Best Director to: THE BRUTALIST by Brady Corbet (UK);
- COPPA VOLPI for best female performance to: NICOLE KIDMAN in the film BABYGIRL by Halina Reijn (United States);
- COPPA VOLPI for best male performance to: VINCENT LINDON in the film JOUER AVEC LE FEU (THE QUIET SON) by Delphine Coulin and Muriel Coulin (France);
- BEST SCREENPLAY AWARD to: MURILO HAUSER and HEITOR LOREGA for the film AINDA ESTOU AQUI by Walter Salles (Brazil, France);
- SPECIAL JURY PRIZE to: APRIL by Dea Kulumbegashvili (France, Italy, Georgia);
- MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD to an emerging young actor: PAUL KIRCHER in the film LEURS ENFANTS APRÈS EUX (AND THEIR CHILDREN AFTER THEM) by Ludovic Boukherma and Zoran Boukherma (France);
HORIZONS
The Orizzonti Jury, chaired by Debra Granik and composed of Ali Asgari, Soudade Kaadan, Christos Nikou, Tuva Novotny, Gábor Reisz and Valia Santella, and after having viewed the 19 feature films and 13 short films in competition, has awarded:
- ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR THE BEST FILM to: ANUL NOU CARE NA FOST (THE NEW YEAR THAT NEVER CAME) by Bogdan Mureșanu (Romania, Serbia);











