Golden Lion award for Bertolucci
2007-06-19 14:34
Venice - Oscar-winning director Bernardo Bertolucci will receive an honorary Golden Lion award at this year's Venice Film festival, organisers said on Monday.
Bertolucci, whose movies include Last Tango in Paris and The Last Emperor, will receive the award during the closing ceremony September 8.
"Bertolucci is a great Italian filmmaker, who's had the courage to give a cosmopolitan dimension to his own personal inspiration," said Davide Croff, president of the Venice Biennale, which includes the film festival.
Bertolucci, 67, is one of Italy's most acclaimed filmmakers. The Last Emperor - his 1987 tale of the life of China's last emperor - won nine Oscars, including for best director.
From his first feature film in 1962 to his last work in 2003, The Dreamers, Bertolucci has often shown his movies in Venice.
As part of the homage, the festival will also feature a restored version of the 1970 film La Strategia del Ragno (The Spider's Stratagem), the organisers said.
The award marks the 75th anniversary of the film festival, the world's oldest. But because of war and other reasons, the festival was not held every year, and so the edition opening August 29 will actually be the 64th.
- AP