Almodovar's 'The Room Next Door' triumphs at Venice Festival

Crispian Balmer - Reuters - 07/09
Starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, the film received an 18-minute standing ovation when it premiered at Venice earlier in the week.
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  • Films shown at Venice often go on to shine at Oscars
VENICE, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Spanish director Pedro Almodovar's first English-language movie "The Room Next Door", which tackles the hefty themes of euthanasia and climate change, won the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.
Starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, the film received an 18-minute standing ovation when it premiered at Venice earlier in the week - one of the longest in recent memory.
Almodovar is a darling of the festival circuit and was awarded a lifetime achievement award at Venice in 2019 for his bold, irreverent and often funny Spanish-language features.
He also won an Oscar in the best foreign language category for his 1999 film "All About My Mother".
Now aged 74, he has decided to try his hand at English, telling reporters that it was like science fiction for him.
Speaking ahead of the premiere, he said his movie highlighted the importance of cherishing life, but also made clear that people should be able to die with dignity at a time of their choosing.
"It's a film in favour of euthanasia," he said, criticising countries such...
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