Ellen Burstyn wept as Kornél Mundruczó’s heartfelt drama “Place to Be” was embraced at Venice Film Festival with a six-minute standing ovation on Wednesday.
The 93-year-old acting icon wiped away her tears and hugged her co-stars Taika Waititi, Pamela Anderson and Murray Bartlett while the crowd cheered for her emotional performance as an elderly woman who goes on cross-country journey to return a lost pigeon to its owner. After the applause stopped, Burstyn shouted “thank you!” as she and Waititi, whose unlikely friendship anchors the road-trip adventure, blew kisses to the audience. Anderson and Bartlett, who play the children of Burstyn’s character, looked visibly moved as they took in the reception for “Place to Be,” which premiered out-of-competition at Venice.
Festivalgoers were packed around the red carpet before the afternoon premiere, and paparazzi could be heard screaming for Anderson — who wore a stunning orange dress with a dramatic train — from inside the Sala Giardino before the screening began. Burstyn, donning a red top with a black trim, did not stop for photographers and entered the venue using a walker after suffering a recent fall.
“Place to Be” marks Hungarian filmmaker Mundruczó’s second feature of the year, after his Amy Adams-led “At the Sea,” which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in February. His English-language debut was “Pieces of a Woman,” which earned its star Vanessa Kirby an Oscar nomination for best actress after bowing at Venice in 2020.
Burstyn is having a big moment at this year’s Venice as the Oscar-winning actor of “Exorcist” and “Requiem for a Dream” was honoured with the festival’s Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. In addition to “Place to Be,” Burstyn also starred in director and jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Marilyn Monroe-inspired short film “Flesh Impact,” which premiered on the Lido earlier this week.
It’s been an emotional week for Burstyn, who cried at her Golden Lion ceremony as she was greeted with a heartfelt standing ovation. “You’re overwhelming me, you know! I don’t know how to recover from that generous greeting,” she told the audience on Monday afternoon. As she prepared to receive the award, Burstyn said she’s been reflecting on her life and what it means to get a career tribute.
“At 93, it means you have a far about of lifetime to look back on,” she said. “I thought, maybe it’s not just a record of what you’ve accomplished, but what you’ve learned.”
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From Variety US