Golden Lions and Hidden Gems
With the Venice Film Festival starting this week, let's look back at some of the lower-profile winners of the top prize. Over time, the Golden Lion has launched some films into the annals of film history, while others have fallen into obscurity. This list showcases those under-seen films honored by the festival.
The Woman Who Left
(Ang Babaeng Humayo)
There'll be no comfort for the wicked.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Philippines • 2017
- Director Lav Diaz
- Cast Charo Santos-Concio, John Lloyd Cruz, Michael De Mesa, Nonie Buencamino, Shamaine Buencamino
- Genre Drama
- Available on Kino Film Collection, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy
From Afar
(Desde allá)
A wealthy, middle-aged man gets involved with a young, reckless gang member.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Venezuela, Mexico • 2016
- Director Lorenzo Vigas
- Cast Alfredo Castro, Luis Silva, Jericó Montilla, Catherina Cardozo, Marcos Moreno
- Genre Drama
- Available on Strand Releasing Amazon Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy
Lebanon
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Israel, France, Germany • 2009
- Director Samuel Maoz
- Cast Oshri Cohen, Michael Moshonov, Yoav Donat, Itay Tiran, Zohar Strauss
- Genre Drama, War
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube
Not One Less
(一个都不能少)
A 13 year-old substitute teacher in the Chinese countryside goes looking for one of her lost pupils in the city.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- China • 1999
- Director Zhang Yimou
- Cast Wei Minzhi, Zhang Huike, Tian Zhenda, Gao Enman, Sun Zhimei, Feng Yuying
- Genre Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video
Before the Rain
(Пред дождот)
Three interconnected stories of love under the threat of civil war in Macedonia and London.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, France, North Macedonia • 1994
- Director Milcho Manchevski
- Cast Katrin Cartlidge, Rade Šerbedžija, Grégoire Colin, Labina Mitevska, Phyllida Law, Silvija Stojanovska
- Genre Drama, War
- Available on Criterion Channel
The Story of Qiu Ju
(秋菊打官司)
When her husband is injured by a village elder, a peasant woman travels far and wide seeking justice.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- China, Hong Kong • 1992
- Director Zhang Yimou
- Cast Gong Li, Peiqi Liu, Liuchun Yang, Lei Kesheng, Ge Zhijun
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Plex, Plex Channel
Marianne and Juliane
(Die bleierne Zeit)
Two sisters, one a journalist and one a terrorist, fight for women’s civil rights in very different ways.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- West Germany • 1981
- Director Margarethe von Trotta
- Cast Jutta Lampe, Barbara Sukowa, Julia Biedermann, Ina Robinski, Rüdiger Vogler, Doris Schade
- Genre Drama
- Available on Kanopy
Hands over the City
(Le mani sulla città)
Corruption. Passion. Outrage.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, France • 1963
- Director Francesco Rosi
- Cast Rod Steiger, Salvo Randone, Guido Alberti, Marcello Cannavale, Dante Di Pinto, Alberto Conocchia
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel
Family Diary
(Cronaca familiare)
Two brothers from practically different worlds.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1962
- Director Valerio Zurlini
- Cast Marcello Mastroianni, Jacques Perrin, Salvo Randone, Valeria Ciangottini, Sylvie, Marco Guglielmi
- Genre Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube
General Della Rovere
(Il generale Della Rovere)
He's only pretending to be a hero... right?
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, France • 1959
- Director Roberto Rossellini
- Cast Vittorio De Sica, Hannes Messemer, Vittorio Caprioli, Nando Angelini, Herbert Fischer
- Genre War, Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Kanopy
The Rickshaw Man
(無法松の一生)
A poor but optimistic rickshaw driver becomes a surrogate father to the young son of a widow.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1958
- Director Hiroshi Inagaki
- Cast Toshiro Mifune, Hideko Takamine, Hiroshi Akutagawa, Chōko Iida, Chishū Ryū, Haruo Tanaka
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel
Manon
A World War II French freedom fighter falls under a devious woman's spell.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1949
- Director Henri-Georges Clouzot
- Cast Serge Reggiani, Michel Auclair, Cécile Aubry, Andrex, Raymond Souplex, André Valmy
- Genre Adventure, Drama, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube