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September 14, 2009

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Israeli film gets Venice golden nod

"LEBANON," an Israeli film that recounts Israel's 1982 invasion of the Middle East country through the eyes of four soldiers in a tank, has won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival.

The festival jury announced the Golden Lion and other prizes on Saturday, the last day of the 11-day screening of films from around the world. An Iranian film about women and repression took the No. 2 prize, the Silver Lion.

"Lebanon," directed by Samuel Maoz, tells the story of Israeli paratroopers searching a hostile town. The conflict is seen through the binocular-aided eyes of those inside the tank, with their cramped quarters lending an anxious sense of claustrophobia to their viewpoint.

"I dedicate this work to people all over the world that come back from the war safe and sound," the director told the audience at the awards ceremony. "They work, get married, have children," but the memories get "stuck in their souls."

Maoz was a young man when he served in the Israeli military during the invasion, which led to a long occupation of southern Lebanon.

The awards jury was headed by Ang Lee, himself a Golden Lion-winning director, who marveled that if "Lebanon" was Maoz's first film what might he do next.

He said the jurors were both quick and unanimous in choosing "Lebanon" and were "happy not to be inside that tank which could have been any tank in any war."

Maoz told Israeli Channel 1 TV in a phone interview immediately after winning that he hoped the film "helps people understand our country better, understand our society better, and the complexity of our society better."

Iranian film maker and photographer Shirin Neshat won the Silver Lion for best director for her feature debut with "Zanan Bedoone Mardan" ("Women Without Men.")

The film depicts four women from all classes of society in 1953 Iran, on the eve of an uprising that deposed an elected government that had nationalized the oil industry, and led to the return of the shah.

A comedy, "Soul Kitchen," by German-Turkish director Fatih Akin, won the Special Jury Prize.

Colin Firth took the best actor award for his role in Tom Ford's "A Single Man" as a college professor grappling with solitude after his longtime partner dies.

Fashion designer Ford made his directorial debut with the movie.

Ksenia Rappoport, starring in Italian film "La Doppia Ora," won best actress.





 

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