Catherine Deneuve receives a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 79th Venice Film Festival.
Catherine Deneuve (78) is given a special honor. The French actress will be awarded a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the forthcoming Venice Film Festival. The organizers announced this on June 1 on the film festival’s website. The decision was made by the board of directors of the Biennale di Venezia, following a suggestion by Alberto Barbera (72), director of the festival.
“A timeless diva” and a “true screen icon”
Deneuve has made “an impressive number of films, most of which have been major international successes,” Barbera said in a statement. She has received “an equally remarkable number of awards” at the most important film festivals in the world and an Oscar nomination for best actress (“Indochine”), “a rare privilege for artists who are not American”.
The 78-year-old possesses “an undeniable talent in the service of the gift of acting” and “a sophisticated and rare beauty”. These attributes would have made her “the symbol of French cinema”. Deneuve is not only “a timeless diva”, but also “a true icon of the screen”, praises Barbera in the highest tones.
The actress, meanwhile, said it was “a pleasure to receive this prestigious award at the Venice Film Festival, which I love and have known for a long time”. “It is also an honor to have been chosen for this recognition at the festival that has accompanied me so many times with so many films,” said Deneuve himself in a statement.
The 79th Venice Film Festival runs from August 31st to September 10th.
