Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar has made history by winning the prestigious Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for his first English-language film, The Room Next Door.
Starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, the film is an adaptation of the novel What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez. It explores themes of death, empathy, friendship, and the right to a dignified end when faced with terminal illness.
A poignant tale captures the jury’s attention
The heart-wrenching narrative of The Room Next Door follows two friends as they confront the inevitable, reminiscing about the past as they approach an uncertain future. The film captivated the festival’s jury, which was led by renowned actress Isabelle Huppert. Almodóvar’s delicate portrayal of companionship and existential reflection resonated deeply, securing his first top award at a major international festival.
Despite his illustrious career, which includes an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Talk to Her and Best International Feature for All About My Mother, as well as a Best Screenplay win at Cannes for Volver, Almodóvar had never won a top-tier festival prize—until now. His Venice victory with The Room Next Door is a milestone, marking his evolution as a filmmaker, and cementing his place as one of the most important voices in global cinema.
Other big winners at the Venice Film Festival
This year’s Venice Film Festival was full of standout performances and remarkable films. Director Brady Corbet took home the Best Director award for The Brutalist, a sweeping tale about visionary Hungarian-Jewish architect László Toth, portrayed by Adrien Brody.
Nicole Kidman triumphed in the highly competitive Best Actress category for her powerful performance in Babygirl, beating out favourites such as Angelina Jolie and Lady Gaga. Meanwhile, Vincent Lindon secured the Best Actor award for his portrayal of a father grappling with his son’s involvement in far-right extremism in The Quiet Son.
Rising stars and special mentions
Paul Kircher received the Marcello Mastroianni Award for his role in And Their Children After Them, while the Special Jury Prize went to April, a Georgian film by director Dea Kulumbegashvili, whose debut, Beginning, previously garnered praise at the San Sebastián Film Festival.