Venice 2022: 10 Must-See Films
FTW Staff breaks down what to watch at the Venice Film Festival
By FTW Staff
In a year full of marvelous cinematic revelations in the theater and at home, we can always look toward film festivals for a glimpse of future gems to behold. While some festivals have taken efforts to increase the diversity in their programming, others seem to be lagging behind and this year’s Venice Film Festival showed some troubling signs of inflexibility. According to ScreenDaily, of the 23 films selected for competition, just five have been directed by a woman. That is the same amount of female-identifying filmmakers as the previous iteration and the same amount of female-identifying filmmakers that Cannes had earlier this year.
Film Festivals are meant to celebrate and honor cinema, but it is difficult to engage in those festivities when they only seem to include the same majority groups year after year. With this in mind, here’s FREE THE WORK’s guide to the must-see films at the 79th edition of the Venice International Film Festival.
IN COMPETITION
‘Saint Omer’ dir. by Alice Diop
Why you should watch: The award-winning Senegalese filmmaker, Alice Diop made her name in the documentary space (We) and arrives to Venice with her narrative debut Saint Omer. A filmmaker with a keen ability to cast an unflinching eye on society, Diop’s first foray into a narrative feature is one to watch.
Synopsis: Saint-Omer court of law. Young novelist Rama attends the trial of Laurence Coly, a young woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter by abandoning her to the rising tide on a beach in northern France. But as the trial continues, the words of the accused and witness testimonies will shake Rama’s convictions and call into question our own judgment.
‘The Eternal Daughter’ dir. by Joanna Hogg
Why you should watch: Following an exceptional collaboration in The Souvenir, director Joanna Hogg teams up once more with star Tilda Swinton in The Eternal Daughter. Employing a naturalistic style that features several extended takes, Hogg centers a majority of her films on the British middle class. Her precise blocking style and uncanny ability to portray the ugliness of life make her portraits feel emotional and personal.
Synopsis: An artist and her elderly mother confront long-buried secrets when they return to a former family home, now a hotel haunted by its mysterious past.
‘No Bears’ dir. by Jafar Panahi
Why you should watch: The critically acclaimed director Jafar Panahi has a bittersweet return to Venice with his film No Bears. In a controversial move, Panahi was imprisoned by the Iranian judiciary earlier this summer, a few weeks before the Venice Film Festival announced his film’s selection for competition. Known as one of Iran’s most influential filmmakers for his moving portrayals of life in Iran, we expect this film to appear on many end of year lists.
Synopsis: Khers Nist portrays two parallel love stories. In both, the lovers are troubled by hidden, inevitable obstacles, the force of superstition and the mechanics of power.
‘Beyond the Wall’ dir. by Vahid Jalilvand
Why you should watch: Originally from Tehran, director Vahid Jalilvand is a seasoned filmmaker with experience across film, theater and television. This is the filmmakers first time in competition having been at the festival previously in other categories. A talent to watch.
Synopsis: Ali, a blind man, is attempting to commit suicide when he is interrupted by the concierge of his building. He is informed that the police are in search of a woman who has escaped and hidden somewhere in the building. Little by little, Ali finds out that the fugitive woman, Leila, is inside his apartment. After participating in a workers’ protest that led to chaos, she is distraught about her four-year-old son who was lost when she was taken in a police van. Gradually, Ali becomes emotionally attached to her. Wishing to flee reality, helping Leila becomes a refuge in his own world of imagination.
‘Chiara’ dir. by Susanna Nicchiarelli
Why you should watch: Venice regular Susanna Nicchiarelli arrives in competition with her feature film Chiara. No stranger to rebellious characters in her films, Nicchiarelli’s film promises to be an engaging and unique perspective on coming of age.
Synopsis: Assisi, 1211. Chiara is eighteen years old and one night she runs away from home to join her friend Francesco: from that moment on her life changes forever. With charisma and conviction, she breaks free from her family’s constraints and stands up to the Pope himself. She fights for herself, for the women who join her and for her dream of freedom. The story of a Saint. The story of a girl and her revolution.
‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed’ dir. by Laura Poitras
Why you should watch: Academy Award Winner Laura Poitras has made waves thanks to a journalistic approach to her filmmaking. Covering controversial subjects and shedding light on the exceptionally ugly sides of society. Picked up by Neon before its world premiere at Venice, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed is sure to be a film you cannot miss.
Synopsis: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed is an epic, emotional story about the internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin told through her slideshows, intimate dialogue, ground-breaking photography, and rare footage of her fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the overdose crisis.
‘Other People’s Children’ dir. by Rebecca Zlotowski
Why you should watch: The acclaimed French director Rebecca Zlotowski comes to Venice with Other People’s Children. Zlotowski’s compassionate look at the complicated emotions that come with falling in love, in all its forms, make this a movie to add to your list.
Synopsis: Rachel is 40 years old, no children. She loves her life: her high school students, her friends, her ex, and her guitar lessons. When she falls in love with Ali, she becomes attached to Leila, his 4-year-old daughter. She tucks her to bed, cares for her, and loves her like her own. But to love other people’s children is risky.
OUT OF COMPETITION — DOCUMENTARY
‘The Matchmaker’ dir. by Benedetta Argentieri
Why you should watch: Benedetta Argentieri is an independent journalist and documentary director. Her documentary work has focused on Iraq and Syria, covering the ongoing conflict and the feminist struggles. Argentieri thoughtfully humanizes her subjects and reflectively questions the circumstances of the time.
Synopsis: The interview offers an interesting reflection on the Islamic holy war seen from the point of view of the women who are part of the caliphate, fighters, and executioners themselves.
SHORT FILMS
‘Look at Me’ dir. by Sally Potter
Why you should watch: Any Sally Potter film is a sight to behold. Premiering at Venice with the interesting short Look at Me, Potter originally developed this short to exist within her 2020 feature The Roads Not Taken. Coincidentally, this year marks the 30th anniversary of Potter’s Oscar-nominated breakout second feature Orlando in competition at the festival in 1992.
Synopsis: Rehearsals for a fundraising gala become the arena for a struggle between two men; one, the gala director and the other, a richly talented but unstable rock drummer. As their battle for expression and control escalates against a relentless rhythmic backdrop, their public and private selves explosively collide.
HORIZONS EXTRA
Amanda dir Carolina Cavalli
Why you should watch: Hailing from Milan, director Carolina Cavalli arrives to Venice with her feature debut film, Amanda. Cavalli has won the prestigious Premio Solinas Experimenta Serie prize with RAI for her original comedy-drama series Mi Hanno Sputato nel Milkshake (Rai Fiction, Premio Solinas, Tapeless Film), which she went on to co-direct. A soon-to-be breakout filmmaker, Amanda is a film to add to your list.
Synopsis: As far as the twenty-four-year-old Amanda can remember, she has never had friends. It’s the thing she desires most. When she finds out that as infants she and Rebecca had spent a lot of time together, Amanda settles on her new mission: convincing her that they are still best friends.
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