French director and former film critic Bertrand Tavernier, known for his humanist pictures, including “A Sunday in the Country,” “Round Midnight,” and “In the Electric Mist,” will be honored by the Venice Film Festival with its Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement during the event’s upcoming edition.
Tavernier, whom Venice topper Alberto Barbera described as a “central figure in French filmmaking,” will also be the guest director of the Venice Classics section of the fest, which features a selection of rare, forgotten or underestimated films. Tavernier, who started his career as a film critic, will introduce the screenings.
Barbera in his motivation statement underscored that Tavernier’s “memorable writings” about film are “guided by the refined and unconventional perspective of a film-lover who eschews any temptation of dogmatism, demonstrating freedom of spirit, and an uncommon degree of curiosity and open-mindedness.”
Tavernier has had two films in competition at Venice: “Round Midnight” in 1986 (which won an Oscar for Best Original Score and a Best Actor nomination for U.S. sax giant Dexter Gordon) and also detective pic “L. 627″ in 1992.
Tavernier won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for his debut feature-length film “The Clockmaker,” which was inspired by French noir writer Simenon, and the Golden Bear at Berlin in 1985 for detective pic “Fresh Bait.”
In 1984 he won the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Fest for family dynamics drama “A Sunday in the Country.”
The 72nd edition of Venice will run September 2-12.
