No Swedish feature films made it to the main competition in Venice, but documentary filmmaker Göran Hugo Olsson's "Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989" will have its world premiere during the festival.
As previously confirmed, the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival will begin on August 28, when Tim Burton will follow up the horror comedy "Beetlejuice" (1988) with "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice", which will be shown out of competition.
Lady Gaga in Joker sequel
But also in the main competition is a sequel that has already received a lot of attention. Not surprisingly, considering that Joaquin Phoenix won an Oscar for Best Actor for his original portrayal of the failed comedian Arthur Fleck in "Joker" (2019).
In the sequel "Joker: Folie à Deux", again directed by Todd Philips, Joaquin Phoenix will star alongside Lady Gaga.
Star director Pedro Almodóvar's films have been shown many times during the Venice Film Festival. When he now returns to the festival, it is with his first English-language feature film and a long list of stars, including Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore, and John Turturro.
Swedish documentary film
Out of competition, documentary filmmaker Göran Hugo Olsson's "Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989" will have its world premiere during the festival. The documentary film is based on extensive SVT material from Israel and Palestine over nearly 30 years.
No Swedish film made it to the main competition. But in the Orizzonti section, Greek director Alexandros Avranas is competing with the film "Quiet life", featuring Lena Endre and Johannes Bah Kuhnke in supporting roles. The film, which follows a couple seeking political asylum in Sweden and their children suffering from resignation syndrome, was partially filmed in Gothenburg.
Two more Swedish co-productions were presented in Venice: Ukrainian director Olha Zhurba's "Songs of slow burning earth" is participating out of competition, while the short film "O" is competing in the Orizzonti conte section. The film is directed by Rúnar Rúnarsson and Sophia Olsson, who was previously nominated for a Guldbagge for cinematography in "Sameblod", is responsible for the photography.
The Venice Film Festival takes place between August 28 and September 7.
Mats Almegård/TT
Some of the films competing in Venice
TT
“The Brutalist” by Brady Corbet with Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones
“Queer" by Luca Guadagnino, based on W.S. Burroughs' novel.
“Love” by Dag Johan Haugerud, which is part of the trilogy Sex, Dreams, Love.
“Maria” by Pablo Larrain – a biopic about opera singer Maria Callas.
“Diva Futura” by Giulia Louise Steigerwalt
