The Venice Film Festival is set to honor two of its most notable alums this year. One is Liliana Cavani, a vital director of the New Italian Cinema movement and recognized internationally for The Night Porter; the other is Tony Leung Chiu-wai, the acclaimed Hong Kong actor known for his numerous collaborations with Wong Kar-wai.
Liliana Cavani, born in 1933, is an award-winning Italian film director and screenwriter. She studied philology and literature at Bologna University before becoming involved in filmmaking. She began directing documentaries for the Italian national television network RAI in 1961. She was a member of the Italian Society of Cinematographers.
After graduating from the University of Bologna in 1960, Cavani moved to Rome, where she attended the famous “Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia,” an experimental cinematography center. Her first feature film was Francis of Assisi (Francesco d’Assisi, 1966), which was widely criticized for its anticlerical and profane content. It depicted the renegade monk as a protester who defended the student movement during the 1960s.
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She continued to direct films with a political or social theme, including La pelle (The Skin, 1981), based on Curzio Malaparte’s novel. The film was a resounding success and brought her to the attention of Italian audiences.
Her interest in transgressive relationships led to the production of Interno Berlinese (The Berlin Affair, 1985), loosely adapted from the novel Quicksand by Jun’ichiro Tanizaki. The film was the third in a trilogy that included The Night Porter and Beyond Good and Evil, which explored themes of madness.
A talented actress who has won two European Film Awards and two Academy Awards, Charlotte Rampling is a renowned international stage and film star. She has appeared in over 100 roles in her long career and is known for her powerful performances in complex, emotionally charged dramas.
With a career spanning over a half-century, she is regarded as an icon of unconventional and exciting cinema. Her latest film, Hannah, won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
In addition to her film work, she has also directed numerous operas. She has collaborated with the composer Wozzeck and has produced many operas in Europe and the United States.
Her work has received critical acclaim and has won several awards, including the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or and a nomination for an Oscar for her role in The Talented Mr. Ripley in 2002.
She has also starred in various TV shows. She was awarded an Order of the British Empire in 2000 and has won the European Film Award twice for her performance in Vers le sud.
Aside from her film work, she has actively fostered cultural exchange between France and Britain. Her 2011 documentary THE LOOK – Charlotte Rampling created a comprehensive cinematic portrait of the actress.
She was the guest of honor at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival, which dedicated its Homage to her career. In addition, the festival awarded her the Honorary Golden Bear and dedicated the Homage to a selection of her films.
