At the end of the opening day of the 82nd Venice Film Festival, the living legend of directing, Werner Herzog, received an honorary Golden Lion. American film director, screenwriter, and producer Francis Ford Coppola presented the German director with the statuette in recognition of outstanding services to cinema. The event was Coppola’s first public appearance since undergoing heart surgery in Rome earlier this month.
Next week, Werner Herzog will celebrate his 83rd birthday. A director of over forty feature films and documentaries, he is known for his unapologetically bold approach to filmmaking. His films include “Aguirre, the Wrath of God” (1972) and “Fitzcarraldo” (1982).
Accepting his award, which received a standing ovation, Herzog called Coppola’s performance “very kind” and recalled how supportive he was early in his career.
“Francis was incredibly kind and generous to me. We’ve known each other for half a century,” Herzog said.
As part of the screening (but outside the main competition program), Herzog will present his new documentary, Ghost Elephants. In the meantime, the director continues to work on his animated debut, Twilight, based on Herzog’s novel of the same name, which tells the story of Japanese partisan Hiro Onoda (1922–2014).
This year’s Venice Film Festival opened with La grazia (“The Pardon/Grace”) by acclaimed director Paolo Sorrentino. George and Amal Clooney, Adam Sandler, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, supermodel Heidi Klum with her daughter, Barbara Palvin, and other stars were spotted on the red carpet.
