As the 80th edition of Venice Film Festival is about to commence, Alberto Barbera, the festival’s artistic director, has shared some touching moments involving celebrities Lady Gaga and Scarlett Johansson.
The yearly celebration is not just the most ancient film festival globally, it is also deemed as one of the most significant. It acts as a gauge in terms of measuring the buzz around potential Oscar contenders, particularly for some of the highly anticipated films of the year.
Every year, the festival manages to draw the attention of some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. In fact, just a day ago, George and Amal Clooney were spotted in Venice, all set to attend the prestigious event.
Prior to the commencement of this year’s celebrations, Barbera had a conversation with The Guardian wherein he talked about various subjects such as the existing Hollywood strikes and the list of events scheduled for this year.
As the 80th Venice Film Festival approaches, its artistic director Alberto Barbera is sharing some heartfelt moments he witnessed involving Lady Gaga and Scarlett Johansson. He recalled Gaga’s festival debut in 2018 for A Star Is Born and Johansson’s tearful response to the premiere of Under the Skin in 2013, which Barbera admitted was one of the most emotional screenings he had ever attended.
During the premiere of A Star Is Born, Barbera reminisced about Lady Gaga’s festival debut in 2018. Despite being caught in the rain, both Gaga and Cooper made their way onto the red carpet. However, Barbera revealed that Gaga refused to enter the theater for a surprisingly kind reason. Apparently, she wanted to keep signing autographs for her fans! After getting drenched in the rain, she arrived at Barbera’s office shaking. He asked if she was nervous, but she explained that she simply wanted to ensure that her fans got the attention they deserved. Barbera was amazed by her dedication to her fans, especially since she performs in front of thousands of people during her concerts.
As Lady Gaga stepped out of her car on a windy New York City day, her revealing cut-out dress was lifted by the gusts. According to sources, when asked about her experience as an actress in her debut film A Star Is Born, Gaga humbly replied that she felt like a debutante.
Barbera shared that he had comforted Johansson during the premiere screening of her movie Under the Skin. He recalled how he had put his arm around her shoulder and led her into the theatre. However, the film did not receive a warm reception from the audience, making it the only film to be booed. Johansson was close to tears, but Barbera assured her that the movie would eventually gain recognition. True to his words, the film has now become a cult classic despite its low box office earnings. The movie follows Johansson playing an alien creature who lures in lonely men in Scotland. Its production budget amounted to $13 million, but it only made $6 million worldwide.
According to Barbera, Gaga and Cooper faced the rain on the red carpet during the premiere of A Star Is Born. However, Gaga chose not to enter the theater at that time due to a generous reason. In fact, she wanted to continue signing autographs for her fans instead. Barbera mentioned that he comforted Gaga and led her into the theater, where she eventually shed tears while watching the film. On the other hand, Johansson’s screening of Under the Skin garnered an unexpected response from the audience as it was the only film that received booing from them.
Surprisingly, despite initially receiving mixed reviews upon its release, the film eventually gained a cult following among fans. So much so that in 2022, British film critics voted it as the best British movie of the 21st century. Meanwhile, A Star Is Born enjoyed both critical acclaim with a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and impressive box office success, raking in $436 million worldwide on a budget of only $36 million. Scarlett Johansson has recently starred in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City and is set to appear in North Star, which will hit theaters on September 7.
